African Studies 2017

Since 2015 Cameroon has been accused of forcibly returning 100,000 Nigerians back to their homeland. Many of these refugees have been fleeing Islamist violence. Ther are accused of beating people and sexually exploiting the women. Cameroon has claimed that many of the refugees that are coming in are actually part of Boko Haram. They blame the refugees for the attacks brought on by the Boko Haram and distrust any refugees that come in. The Boko Haram is a militant Islamic group that has been waiting for terror all over heavily populated town throughout Africa. Their goal is to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state. The UN has also commented on the situation and criticized the treatment the soldiers have treated the refugees. The Boko Haram is a big treat in Africa and many of these refugees are displaced because of their actions. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13809501 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41413312

Reading and writing are something we often times take for granted here in the US. Almost every kid who is in school can read and write and those who struggle to get the help they need to advance these skills. However, this is not always the case in developing countries as often times kids and adults fall through the crakes and are never taught. Especially for women, education is often times not at the core beliefs or traditions for many people. Women have to rely on their husbands and family members to be able to read and write for them. Florence Cheptoo who lives in Chesongoch Kenya was one of those people who never learned to read or write. It was only when her granddaughter brought homes books from school did she think she could do this for herself and learn. She went to school and with other members of her community, she has begun to read and write all for herself. In the articles, she goes on to say that reading has given her a freedom what no one can take from her. She now has

Often times when we hear the word Voodoo we think that it is this dark religion that sacrifices animals and prays to the devil. For myself, I believed this and did not try to learn the truth about the religion called Voodoo. Regine Romaine who had traveled on a pilgrimage discovering the religion and tracking its origins back to in Benin discovered a tradition that is nothing like what we have been taught. In Benin you can see the community coming together, keeping the traditions of their ancestors alive. An interesting part that I read was about their beliefs. They live in peace and harmony with life and nature and they believe that no bad deeds will go unpunished. An estimated 40% of the Benin's population practices voodoo, 27% practice Christianity and 22% are Muslim. While reading the article it explained how the practice arrived in the Americas. When slaves were brought over the only thing they could hold onto was their religion. If they were caught practicing they would