While listening to my favourite radio station, NPR yesterday morning, I heard about a woman named Salif Tidiane Ba, who decided to create an African Board game after her young son came home and asked her if it was true that everyone in Africa had AIDS! Salif had to explain to her son that this was not true. Salif who hails from Senegal found it truly disturbing that after asking her child’s school why are they not teaching more about the continent of Africa, she was told that it is simply too large and complicated… Isn’t that something!
Salif set out to rectify this mystifying situation and created a board game which has the map of Africa in its center and the game itself is a cross between Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. The game now exists in English, French and Arabic. Salif is hoping to have the game translated in Spanish and Portuguese as well as other African languages.
A question to the parents among you with young children, do you know what they are teaching your child/children about Africa in school? Are they just being taught that there is only famine and diseases on that beautiful continent? Maybe it’s time you found out.
To listen to or read the story about Salif and her board game, click here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114051023
Maylana's Chronicles 
Wow. How sad is that? The great continent of Mother Africa, with all her riches, fertile soil, natural resources, different countries and beautiful people, and all they spoke about was AIDS? Ugh. Sadly I am not surprised. My children have yet to learn about Africa in school. They know what they know from their parents and family members. Even sadder, I did not get the full beautiful picture of Africa until I took an African American History class in COLLEGE. (The teacher was from Africa and focused a lot more on Africa than America, which I have always been grateful for.) That class actually gave me confidence, and a sense of belonging that I had not felt before. Truly eye opening in so many ways. I will purchase this game for my children. God Bless her for taking a step in the direction to educate others. Great post!!! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment. I was completely appalled and taken aback when I heard this story. Are schools really teaching about Africa in that way? Growing up in England we were taught the basics about Africa, Our lessons were mostly about the British Empire and what they owned and used to own. We were taught about the continent of African and it’s different countries and had to be able to find them on the map of Africa, so I guess we were taught a little more, than most people are taught in the US. You’re not the first person who told me they had to take an elective in college to learn more. I’m glad I was able to inform someone about this game, it’s something I would buy if I had children of school age.
🙂
A college mate asked me the same question. “Is it true that there’s a lot of AIDS in Africa?” Why is that the only continent people connect with the disease?
Exactly!! Unfortunately it’s what mainstream media has portrayed.