Why We Write Afrika

This day a year ago, I wrote a short piece about how the world often negatively viewed the African continent. At the time, I just wanted to put those words down on paper because they were dancing in my mind for a very long time. I posted it on my LinkedIn as an article, and the next day I created a blog with the idea of writing more articles on the African experience.

Today I reflect more on why I started this blog and here are my thoughts:

-As per the first article, I wanted to talk write about a positive life in Africa. Global media is saturated with everything negative in Africa. It is not until recently that this negative perspective is starting to change largely due to Africans themselves pushing forth a different narrative. The approach is to create a platform where anyone with the desire to write about the good in Africa can have that space. I had the pleasure of collaborating with writers on pieces and look forward to having more collaboration in the coming years.

-I am a traveler and am often confronted with misconceptions and misinformation about Africa. People wonder how this African woman made it to their part of the world. The most common thing I hear is Africa is a single country, everybody is living in dire poverty, and I am in their country seeking a better life. Sometimes I show them a positive perspective, other times I just smile and let it go because it’s tiring; it depends on the setting.

– Traveling in Africa, I look for the positive and find it everywhere. The blog was a platform to post short pieces on my experiences and views on the countries I have been to. I also meet people doing great things through art, entrepreneurship, education, and writing in their communities. These stories inspire me and give me hope that the continent is growing internationally and growing in the world.  The main focus for 2024, in addition to the regular articles, will be interview pieces showcasing these Africans who are contributing to that positive narrative on the continent.

– African music, fashion, and food are making their way into all corners of the world. I heard Afrobeats in the streets of Central America, saw African fabric in stores in Europe, the Middle East, and found African dishes on menus where I never thought possible. All of these findings give me a smile and reinforce the idea that the continent is slowly carving its permanent place in global culture. I hope through this blog and the related upcoming media outlets I can contribute to a positive narrative that supports this carving.

– Many people spell Afrika with a K for different reasons. My reason lies simply in the linguistic phoneme of the letter “K” versus “C”. That hard sound in my mind represents the strength, resilience, and power of Africa. Spelling Afrika gives me a positive projection of an African that will embrace its strength as a powerhouse in the world.  As I continue to travel and learn more about the continent, the journey of We Write Afrika will press on.

Deborah Melom Ndjerareou