Angels in Africa
I read constantly and each book in its own way leaves its mark on me, but there are certain books that have a profound effect on me, one particular the harrowing 'A Piece of Cake' by Cupcake Brown had me constantly reminding myself that this really happened and was not fiction; and every time I find myself thinking 'woe is me' I remember that book and think I shouldn't be complaining, if Cupcake can make it through some unspeakable horrors then I am sure I can make some effort. Another book full of positivity and thought-provoking inspiration is 'Angels in Africa', by Beth O'Donnell and Kimberly Sevick; an inspirational book documenting the lives of seven remarkable women from various parts of the continent as they go about affecting positive change within their communities. Published in 2006, Angels in Africa is a photographic journey examining the power in the human spirit prevailing against all odds; highlighting the strength and character of the women profiled who are selflessly helping others in need, even when some of them were in need themselves.

Organised by country; in Kenya you will meet Ann Wanjiru a mother of three who has lost family members and friends to AIDS and now devotes her time to caring for others afflicted with the disease, extending her care to their families. 

In Tanzania, Edina Yahana has helped to plant more than a million trees in an effort to save the rainforests from decimation, and has continuously worked to educate her communities on conservation at times in the face of disinterest, in a role Edina has actively carried out since she was sixteen. 

At the age of twenty-five Celina Cossa, of Mozambique worked to confront the hunger crisis that had devastated the country. Today, Celina is one of Africa's most respected figures, as the President of the General Union of Agricultural Cooperatives an organisation she founded in 1980. 

'Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you' is the rule Pascasie Mukamunigo lives by, Pascasie is a Rwandan Tutsi who brought a group of Tutsis and Hutus together in a pioneering weaving project as a way of fostering peace and understanding after the genocide. 

In South Africa, Prudence Mwandla has dedicated her life to helping children orphaned through the AIDS epidemic, providing a safe home for those who have endured hunger, sickness and abuse.

Amminata Dieye of Senegal created a programme training young women in skills normally carried out by men such as carpentry and metalwork and is helping these young women find work. 

Jacqueline Goïta is the Exexutive Director of CARITAS Mali and works with young girls many of whom have been raped or abused. Jacqueline represents them court, and in the wider community works to educate girls on their rights and provides training in subjects such as literacy and domestic skills. 

This is just a glimpse into the lives of many other inspiring 'Angels'; men and women who are putting their own personal needs aside to help others.      

...when despair and discouragement threaten to drag you down a book like this can be just what you need to help recharge and power through

Additional details:
On Amazon Angels in Africa is priced at: £20 / USD$23.10
For further information on Angels in Africa visit: http://angelsinafrica.com

Keep a Child Alive
Today is World AIDS day, and last month whilst reading up on Keep A Child Alive’s annual fundraising event I came across the headline stating that June 5th 2011 marked 30 years since the first diagnosed case of Aids; I was shocked that it has actually been that long; I am old enough to remember the epidemic taking hold in the late Eighties/early Nineties and the subsequent discussions surrounding the disease; the hushed tones, unspoken words, the stigma, the unexplained deaths and the beginning of awareness campaigns. I was young, but was still acutely aware of the fear, misunderstandings. 30 years on...has much changed? ...well living in the West has meant access to life enhancing medicines; anti-retroviral drugs that have resulted in those with the disease living relatively long, healthy lives; whilst those in the countries hardest hit predominantly Africa, India and East Europe see a lottery when it's comes to accessing much needed the life saving drugs, with people's lives literally been held to ransom… simply put it's not fair! And what's even more crazy is that the UK has seen a rise in HIV cases (granted not on the scale of other areas of the world) over the last few  years attributed to a decline in public knowledge due to fewer awareness campaigns; so it doesn't look like the disease will be eradicated any time soon, so what to?

HIV/AIDS focused initiatives and organisations have sprung up to help generate the funds needed to support communities hit the hardest and creativity has played its part in providing a lifeline to improving quality of living, no matter how small and giving those affected, directly or indirectly, a sense of purpose. And yes, it has been a struggle but there have been inspiring stories that make you stop and reflect on your own life. One organisation that has captured the attention of many is ‘Keep A Child Alive’, co-founded by musician Alicia Keys and began life in 2002 through one mother’s desperate search in Mombasa, Kenya to get anti-retrovirals for her three year-old son. Today Keep A Child Alive works in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and India, and has also worked in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, primarily focusing on Treatment - helping people get access to the medication they wouldn't normally be able to afford, Care - providing food and a place to stay to help people take care of of themselves to stay healthy, Children - victims of the catastrophe often left alone to cope with the traumas or fend for themselves and Awareness - helping to prevent and protect present and future generations. Visit the website for detailed information about Keep A Child Alive’s work, its origins and get a copy of the financials. Based in New York, Keep a Child Alive runs a range of fundraising initiatives to raise much needed funds and these include the Black Ball held annually since 2004, as well as retailing products created in partnership with some of the communities the organisation works with. There is also a UK branch of the organisation based in London, which holds its own programme of fundraising events.

You can get involved by starting your own Keep A Child Alive campaign; further information and toolkits are available to help you get started, or support the cause by purchasing some of the items they have on sale, including t-shirts, bags, cards and jewellery. The greeting cards shown were made by women in the KwaZulu Natal region, Durban, South Africa and bring together various the skills of those involved... if you haven’t bought your Christmas cards yet would be ideal. Wonderfully bright and all patched up, the Ineza Tote bag was made by the women of Ineza Women’s Cooperative, which is based at Keep A Child Alive’s Centreville Clinic in Rwanda. Due to the variations of the fabrics used each is one-of-a-kind.

Signifying the power to unlock hearts and minds, the Key to Life is a pendant of encased diamonds set in 18carat white gold and was designed by Ghanaian entrepreneur Alexander Amosu and manufactured by Simmons Jewelry Co and sees 65% of the purchase price from each sale going to the charity. Conscious not to replace one tragedy with another, the diamonds used are conflict free and each key is numbered. Retailing at USD$5,000 and more than just an expensive fashion statement, one key sold provides 18 HIV patients with a year's supply of drugs as well as receiving continual support from the KCA treatment centres. 

…this post is dedicated in memory of Melody and all those children like her who fought a long hard battle, and to to those who are still fighting; one day...

Celebrating a Year of African Daydreams
Wow, where has the time gone!!!! Today marks a year of researching, writing and posting as African Daydreams turns one; and what a year it has been! Before I started the blog I was the person who dismissed blogging as a waste of valuable time… I take it back… the fact that I not only created, but have managed to maintain a blog for a year is a miracle in itself… I started African Daydreams at a time of great change in my life and I guess the writing and researching became a cathartic process for me to make sense of what was happening. Many factors influenced the decision to set up the African Daydreams, and it has evolved into so much more than I imagined it would be. It has been a challenging, highly rewarding process… and I still get so excited every time I discover a new brand. There are enough sources in the media eager to keep re-telling how hopeless Africa is, bypassing the fact that the continent is so much more than a homogeneous one-sided story. The whole issue of whether Africa can successfully re-brand it's collective image is fuelling many a debate and is one that resonated with me; and when I read some downright offensive comments accompanying a thought-provoking article on the Economist online entitled - ‘Can "Africa" get a make-over?’, I rose to the challenge hoping to prove the naysayers wrong the only way I know how; visually and in the process work on finding ways to do better. I’m not turning a blind eye to reality; I know that seemingly insurmountable problems exist but for every disheartening story of famine, extreme poverty, conflict, exploitation and disaster unfolding across the continent so too are there stories of hope, togetherness, economic success, thriving business’ and endless creativity all leading towards sustainable change. The winds of change are blowing; yes there is still work to be done, but great things are happening; you only have to look at the past decade of African fashion to see how far things have come, and if everyone with a vested interest did even a small bit, just think how much further along things could be. These t-shirts from Ugandan-based business, Def.i.ni.tion sum things up perfectly...

By living vicariously through the creativity of others my own creativity has been reignited; I now realise I had lost something and needed to get it back. Thank you to all who have read my musings, thank you to all who have got in touch, for your words of encouragement and introducing me to some wonderfully inspiring brands. Looking back on a year’s work I see a vibrant continent; one of individual countries each with their own take on creativity and innovation, and I can only anticipate what is still out there waiting to be discovered...

...you know what, creatively Africa is holding its own!

Gonçalo Mabunda
I mentioned a little while back about the increasing trend for furniture as art amongst collectors and Gonçalo Mabunda’s often startling, furniture sculptures fit into that category. When I first saw the images of his ‘Chair’ series which has been a recurring theme of his for a while now, I was quite taken with how striking the forms where and equally intrigued with some of the titles such as ‘The Elegance Throne’, ‘Harmony Armchair’, Dream of the Children Armchair’ and ‘The Woman Throne’; titles which appear to contradict the hard scrap metal used. Gonçalo’s work is hauntingly powerful and I didn’t realise quite how much until I examined the images closer and then realised what I thought were mere scraps of metal were actually guns and other forms of weaponry. I was taken aback and thought the material quite controversial and was initially turned off. But then I could not dismiss his work outright without understanding why and having done so, now view his work in a different light.

Fashioning guns, munitions, other weapons and scrap metal into chairs and other forms of sculpture, Gonçalo Mabunda’s work serves to recreate the horror’s of war but also aims to move past it by re-purposing the deactivated weapons. Weapons that were once stockpiled and hidden during the civil war that marked Mozambique, the country of his birth, and turning them into something more positive. With every intention of making political statements, the idea of the ‘Chair’ is based on the well known images of the African Tribe Chair, and was inspired by the “Throne of Weapons” initiative; an initiative that encouraged citizens to hand in weaponry in exchange for productive tools such as sewing machines or bicycles. Gonçalo’s sculpture also looks at how difficult it is to dismantle the artifacts of war and violence, as unfortunately not all weapons have been handed in and therefore still pose a threat to people's safety.

Despite using materials I wouldn’t personally feel comfortable displaying in my home or garden, I get the sentiment behind them and can see them working in a stylish living or office space - although I’m not sure if you could sit in one for very long, but they would make a strong statement. And with the issue of guns never far from global political agendas as seen with the recent tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, USA; maybe these sculptures can force people to stop and think just that bit more.