Angola Humor 3

See another example of a daily comic page from Journal de Angola, a daily Angolan newspaper.  This comic strip highlights the humorous trend of blending of modern technology with traditional dance amongst the many traditional Angolan dance groups.

Translation:  "This is tradition and modernism together."

Conquering Leprosy in Angola

January 31st marked the 57th World Leprosy Day as observed by the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP).  Statistics have tallied more than 250,000 cases of leprosy in 2010 in 118 countries. ILEP's Enhanced Global Strategy has a new global target for leprosy to reduce the rate of new cases with grade two disabilities per 100,000 population by at least 35 % by the end of 2015.

Leprosy remains a major public health concern to Angolan authorities as the country is among the countries which continue recording over a thousand cases, despite having reached the elimination goal recommended by the World Health Organisation (less than 1 case / 10.000 citizens). Angola recorded 1,048 leprosy cases at the 2010 year end.

Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s Disease) is a chronic, infectious disease involving the skin and nerves of infected individuals. Pale patches on the skin are usually the first sign of the disease – they are painless and do not itch, so are often ignored by the patient.

In the past, nerve damage and other complications occurred as the disease progressed. The numbness and lack of feeling in the limbs often led to festering wounds on the hands and feet, and then to the characteristic deformities of the face and limbs. In many communities this led to stigma towards those affected and their families, causing them to be shunned and even excluded from everyday life.
 
Fortunately, antibiotics can now quickly kill the bacteria (germs) that cause leprosy, so the disease can be completely cured with a few months of treatment. If this is started at an early stage, most patients need never suffer the terrible complications which used to be common.

What's for Breakfast? Cassava Porridge!

In rural Angola, the cassava plant is one of the most important foods because of its availability and adaptability to the Angolan environment.  This root vegetable can be transformed into flour, tapioca or even alcohol. Cassava porridge is a common Angolan breakfast.

Cassava is a potato plant that grows to a height of 5-8 feet. It is grown in most of Africa’s countries and other tropic countries in the world. The root is very starchy and that is the portion of the cassava plant used for human consumption. The Cassava root varies from 50-70 cm long. It grows in clusters of 2-6 and is covered with a brownish bark fibrous that is removed by peeling.

The cassava roots are peeled, washed and cooked, boiled or grated and squeezed dry, fermented and then toasted, made into cassava bread or processed into foofoo, a moist foodstuff. Foofoo is prepared by boiling the starchy cassava flour to a thick paste or porridge in water and mixing until the desired consistence is reached. The roots are also used for animal feed and the starch for laundry starch and glue.

Cassava can also be sourced in North America and in Europe . Following, I have added a common North American Cassava Porridge Recipe from TriniGourmet.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cubed cassava
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tin condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Blend cassava with 2 cups of the water.
2. Boil the other two cups of water with the salt.
3. Slowly pour in the cassava liquid and lower heat.
4. Simmer until creamy (whisk rapidly until the texture thickens and the liquid appears glossy. Don’t be surprised if translucent ‘bits’ appear to settle at the bottom, they are tasteless and can easily be reintegrated through extra whisking or putting the mixture in a blender before continuing to the next step) recipe. 

African Folklore: The Day Jackal Fooled the King of Beasts

(A Zulu folk Tale)  One day long ago, Jackal was trotting through a narrow and rocky pass when he came face to face with Lion, who was coming in the opposite direction. Realizing that he was too near to escape, Jackal was afraid, for he had played many tricks on Lion in the past, and now Lion might take this opportunity to get his revenge.

In a flash, he thought of a plan.  He cowered down on the cliff path, looked above him and cried, "Help!"  Lion stopped short in surprise.  He indeed been just about to leap upon Jackal and give him the beating of his life.
"Help!" cried Jackal again. "The rocks are about to fall on us! We shall both be crushed! Do something, O mighty Lion!"

Lion looked up too, most alarmed, but before he had time to think, Jackal was begging him to use his great strength to hold up an overhanging rock.
"Hold on!" cried Jackal, "I'll run and fetch that log over there to prop under the rock, then we'll both be saved!"

Lion put his great shoulder to the rock and heaved.  While sneering, Jackal made his escape. Lion was left all alone to struggle under the weight of the unmoving rock.

How long he remained there before he realized that it had all been yet another trick, we will never know. But one thing is perfectly clear: Jackal had to twice as wary of Lion from that day forward.(Adapted from: When the Hippo was Hairy: And other tales from Africa.  By Nick Greaves, Rod Clement)

Marking Luanda's Birthday; The 'Paris of Africa'

Today, the city of Luanda celebrates its 435th anniversary of its founding in 1576.  Being the country's largest city and capital, Luanda is located on the Atlantic coast and is the main port and administrative center of Angola. It has a population now of over 5 million inhabitants (UN estimate 2008), making it the third largest city of the Lusophone world, behind São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro of Brazil.   

In 1575 the Portuguese captain, Paulo Dias de Novais, landed on Cape Island and established the first group of Portuguese settlers, some 700 people which included 350 armed men, clergy, merchants and civil servants. A year later (1576), recognizing the limitations of the small island, the group moved onshore to the mainland and founded the town of São Paulo da Assunção de Luanda and laid the foundation stone for a Catholic church dedicated to St. Sebastian, today the site of the Armed Forces Museum.

Luanda was Portuguese Angola's administrative centre from 1627, except during the Dutch rule of Luanda, from 1640 to 1648, as Fort Aardenburgh. The city served as the centre of a large slave trade to Brazil from c.1550 to 1836. The slave trade was conducted mostly with the Portuguese colony of Brazil; Brazilian ships were the most numerous in the ports of Luanda and Benguela.

A strong degree of Brazilian influence was noted in Luanda until the independence of Brazil in 1822. In the 19th century, still under Portuguese rule, Luanda experienced a major economic revolution. The slave trade was abolished in 1836, and in 1844 Angola's ports were opened to foreign shipping. By 1850, Luanda was one of the greatest and most developed Portuguese cities in the vast Portuguese Empire outside mainland Portugal full of trading companies, exporting palm and peanut oil, wax, copal, timber, ivory, cotton, coffee, and cocoa, among many other products. Maize, tobacco, dried meat and cassava flour also began to be produced locally. The Angolan bourgeoisie was born by this time.

In 1889 Governor Brito Capelo opened the gates of an aqueduct which supplied the city with water, a formerly scarce resource, laying the foundation for major growth. Like most of Portuguese Angola, the cosmopolitan city of Luanda was not affected by the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974); economic growth and development in the entire region reached record highs during this period. In 1972 a report called Luanda the 'Paris of Africa'. 

Angola, which is forecast by the World Bank and UN to be one of the world's fastest growing economies, has been undergoing a massive national reconstruction. The central government allocates funds to all regions of the country, but the capital region receives the bulk of these funds. Since the end of the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), stability has been widespread in the country, and major reconstruction has been ongoing since 2002.

Around one-third of Angolans live in Luanda, 57% of whom live in poverty. Living conditions in Luanda are extremely poor, with essential services such as safe drinking water still in short supply. Luanda is one of the world's most expensive cities for overseas foreigners. (Angop, Wikipedia)

Historic City Series: M'Banza-Kongo

M'Banza-Kongo, formerly known as Sao Salvador is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province . The city was founded some time before the arrival of the Portuguese and was the capital of the historic Kongo Kingdom.  Geographically, its sits on top of an impressive flat-topped mountain, sometimes called Mongo a Kaila (mountain of division) because legends recall that the King created the clans of the kingdom and sent them out from there.

M'banza-Kongo was once the seat of power of the Manikongo, the ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo, from where he would appoint governors for the provinces and receive tribute from neighboring subjects. At its peak, the kingdom reached from southern Africa's Atlantic coast to the Nkisi River up in southern Nigeria; an enormous geographical area some 1,000 miles in length . The Jalankuwo, the Manikongo's judgement tree, can still be found in the downtown area of the city on the grounds of the royal palace and present day Royal Museum.

It is also known for the ruins of its 16th century cathedral (built in 1549), which many Angolans claim is the oldest church in sub-Saharan Africa. The church, known locally as nkulumbimbi, is now said to have been built by angels overnight. It was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1596. Pope John Paul II visited the site during his tour of Angola in 1992.

When the Portuguese arrived in the Kongo region, Mbanza-Kongo was already a large town, perhaps the largest in subequatorial Africa, as certified by Portuguese officials in 1491.   During the reign of King Afonso I of Kongo, stone buildings were added, including a palace and several churches. The town grew substantially as the kingdom of Kongo expanded and an ecclesiastical statement of the 1630s related that 4,000-5,000 baptisms were performed in the city and its immediate hinterland, the surrounding valleys, which is consistent with an overall population of 100,000 people. (Wikipedia:  Mbanza-Kongo)

A video showing the history and scenery of Mbanza-Kongo can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChfecMbl6ug