BYUH students from the African continent shared the diversity within their cultures and how they overcome common misconceptions
Often spoken of as a single entity, the African continent consists of 54 countries rich in values and diverse in cultures. BYU-Hawaii students from Africa cleared up common misconceptions portrayed by the media about Africa and shared the beauty and cultural diversity found in each country.
Debunking common misconceptions
Amos Ameyaw Agyei, a sophomore from Ghana majoring in computer science, said when people hear about Africa they think it’s just one country. “Because of how Africa is depicted in the Western world and the media, most people don’t know it’s divided into many countries with various cultures and more than 1,000 languages,” he said.
He noted people also think Africa is very rural. “There are some rural parts like Mwanza, Tanzania and Juba, South Sudan, which definitely need help. But, there are also other cities like Johannesburg, South Africa, and Cairo, Egypt, that are very developed and have modern technology,” he explained.
Recalling an experience where he spoke to some people called to serve their full-time missions in Africa, Agyei said they asked him if they would proselyte with animals around. “They would initially think of the jungle or the safari, but when they got there, they were like, ‘I didn’t know it was so developed,’” he said.
David Likita Likita from Nigeria, a junior majoring in intercultural peacebuilding and political science, also said the common misconceptions of Africa being very poor and full of conflicts are false. “Those are just some of the things we see online,” he said. “Africa is rich and has great music. We have good people around. People who are well-educated and have changed the world globally,” he explained.
He said learning from other cultures also allows him to share his culture. He explained, “I have friends from Tonga and Fiji, and whenever we see each other, we teach each other words from our respective languages.” He said through these simple interactions with people from other cultures, he can share the beauty of Africa’s diversity and culture.
The cultural diversity within Africa
Coming from Nigeria, Likita Likita shared some people thought he was from South Africa. “Usually, people think Nigeria is part of South Africa, so I tell them that we have 54 countries on this African continent,” he said. “South Africans are lighter than us because some have British blood. Our culture and food are different from theirs too,” he added.
He said Nigeria is divided into three major tribes: Hausa in the North, which Likita Likita said he came from, the Yoruba in the southwest, and the Igbo (or Ibo) in the Southeast. “In Nigeria, we have 36 states and about 4,000 languages found in every region,” he said. “We share some traditions. We also have some attires that are the same; some are not,” he added.
Vimbayinashe Jennifer Mutsvanga, a junior majoring in social work from Zimbabwe, said Zimbabwe is a beautiful land with good weather. She said it is a source of pride for the country to have one of the natural wonders, the Mosi-oa-Tunya or the Victoria Falls.
“There are two main languages spoken in Zimbabwe – Shona and Debele,” she said. As a person from Shona, Mutsvanga said they wear different African attires. She said Debeles originated from South Africa. “How they eat, the way they dress, and the language is similar to South Africa,” she explained.
“Debeles mostly believe in their ancestors and pray to them. They would go to their grandfather’s grave, pray and ask them to do something for them,” she said. “The Shonas, on the other hand, believe in God and are mostly Christians,” she added.
Agyei said Ghana has more than 50 languages, including the tribal ones. “We have two dominant languages in Ghana. One is called Twi, and the other is English,” he said.
One of the distinct cultural aspects found in Ghana is the traditional clothing called Kente, said Agyei. “Our traditional clothing represents the whole culture of Ghana,” he said.
“Ghanaian clothing has mostly red, gold, and green colors. Those colors also make up our flag, with each having a certain meaning behind it,” he said. The red color, he said, stands for the blood of their forefathers. He also said Ghana used to be called the “Gold Coast” due to its abundance of gold, represented by the color yellow. The green stands for vegetation, and black means “Hope for Ghana,” which means all is going to be well for them, he explained.
Despite the multiple tribes found in Ghana, he said the cultural diversity does not divide them because Ghanaians are very patriotic. He added they embrace other tribes and have practiced cultural marriages in their country by sharing and tolerating each other’s cultures and perspectives within different tribes. “Being Ghanaian is what unites us,” said Agyei. “They say, ‘No matter what tribe you are, you’re Ghanaian,’” expressed Agyei. “We love the nation. We always put the nation first before anything, and we are willing to sacrifice for it,” he said.
A people of peace and resiliency
Mutsvanga shared people from Zimbabwe are happy and resilient. She said they still find happiness even if they don’t have much. “One interesting thing I like about my country is we do not easily get stressed by the small things,” she said. Even though there are times people don’t have enough money to pay for rent or buy food, she said, people from Zimbabwe are resilient and can still smile.
Crime rate in Zimbabwe is also very low, said Mutsvanga. “In Zimbabwe, you can walk around while holding your phone. The place is safe,” she said.
Adopted by American parents, Likita Likita shared even though he has traveled around the United States and has not lived in Nigeria for a long time, one great value he has seen Nigerians possess is their tremendous respect for other people’s cultures.
“We respect and pursue our love for humanity. That is one of the fundamentals of our culture,” he said. “Any Nigerian you meet, no matter how poor or rich, he or she is humble and so respectful,” he added.
Agyei also shared wherever Ghanaians find themselves, they always think about Ghana and go back to invest in their own country. “We have a notion that wherever we find ourselves, we leave a legacy for the family. We are also there to give a good mark to those who would come after us,” he said.