Traditional Medicine in Africa 

Maria Wollak

Eng. 191 section 21

Roland Specht-Jarvis

December 14th 2009

Millions of people die each year due to AIDS, cancers, and other diseases that modern medicine has not found a cure for. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim the ability to treat and cure many of these conditions. Can we believe what they say? Will there soon come a time when we have to set aside modern medicine and look into medicine practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences of indigenous cultures to maintain our health, as well as prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illness? As we try to understand this idea of incorporating traditional medicine practices into our lives, we need to first get a general idea of what it is and how it is applied, we also need to compare the positive and negative effects of this medicine, and last take a look at how other countries, especially the United States view this practice.

“Traditional African Medicine is a Holistic discipline involving extensive use of indigenous herbalism combined with the aspects of African spirituality.” (3) The practitioners of traditional African medicine include diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Diviners are responsible for determining the cause of illness, midwives aid a mother in childbirth with the help of indigenous plants, and herbalists identify, harvest and trade the plants used for healing the sick. These three types of practitioners do not go through numerous years of school and training like the medical doctors we see in America, African healers are so called “chosen” they are said to be given spiritual gifts from God and ones ancestors, they are allowed to use herbs in a way that is hidden from the average person to heel the sick. There is a great number of these chosen heelers in Africa, the WHO estimates that up to 80% of the population in Africa makes use of traditional medicine. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the ratio of traditional healers to the population is approximately 1:500, while medical doctors have a 1:40,000 ratio to the rest of the population. Clearly traditional healers and their medicine play an influential role in the lives of African people, yet can we say it will in countries or cultures outside of Africa?

The practice of traditional medicine places a major emphasis on determining the root cause underlying any sickness or bad luck. Writer David Helwig states “Illness is said to stem from a lack of balance between the patient and his or her social environment. It is this imbalance that determines the choice of the healing plant, which is valued as much for its symbolic and spiritual significance as for its medicinal effect. For example, the colors white, black, and red are considered especially symbolic or magical. Seeds, leaves, and twigs bearing these colors are deemed to possess special properties.”(3) Such herbal remedies are largely used in traditional African medicine, the healing qualities in these plants can vary from, a potential treatment of HIV to the ability to treat afflictions of the mind. When traditional medicine is viewed from outside of the African culture, most of the emphasis is placed on just the plants or herbal remedies. The spiritual aspects of the heeling is dismissed and looked at as wrong, many view this practice witchcraft. In colonial time traditional medicine was outlawed for that reason. In the African culture there are a numerous other ways to heel a person other than the herbal medicine, sometimes the use of possession, or animal and human sacrifices are put into play to increase the power of the medicine. We will mainly view the use of plants in traditional medicine throughout this paper, for that is what the United states and other countries are most interested in. 

Although many of the principles and methods of traditional African medicine are quite foreign to modern medical thinking, there is nonetheless considerable interest in exploring Africa's use of plant knowledge for drug-development purposes. Much research has been done to prove many of Africa’s indigenous plants, if used correctly can help cure a wide variety of ailments. With a few statistics we can see that much of todays prescriptions were derived first from the practices of traditional medicine. “More than two thirds of the world's plant species at least 35,000 of which are estimated to have medicinal value come from developing countries” (7) “Three quarters of plants that provide active ingredients for prescription drugs came to the attention of researchers because of their use in traditional medicine.” (7)  Many traditional African remedies are going through numerous laboratory and animal tests to prove there quality and to ensure they are not toxic. One herb, Gawo, has done very well through these tests. Gawo is used in traditional treatments, has been tested in rats by researchers from Nigeria's University and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development. According to research in the African Journal of Biotechnology, Gawo passed the tests and is proven to reduced induced fevers, diarrhea and inflammation. (6)

Another great find in herbal medicine was the plant Prunus Africana, this plant has been sold in Europe since the 1970s as a treatment for mild to moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia. “In Africa, the bark is made into a tea. Elsewhere in the world, it is sold in powders, tinctures, and pills, often combined with other herbs believed to help with prostate problems. Users report greater ease of urination, with reduced inflammation and cholesterol deposits.” (7) Other African plants have been said to treat high blood pressure, cholera, infertility, epilepsy, asthma, eczema, hayfever, anxiety, depression, urinary tract infections, gout, and the healing of wounds and burns. (3) What we see not included in the above list is AIDS, can we somehow believe traditional healers have found a potential treatment of AIDS? Throughout my research I have came to the conclusion that they cannot. Herbal treatments are generally designed to cure individual symptoms of AIDS, such as nausea, weakness, and insomnia. The herbal medicines will simply elongates the life of a person living with AIDS. Traditional healers may not be able to cure this disease but they are still well appreciated in easing the burden of it. Traditional healers vastly overshadow biomedical doctors in terms of numbers in Africa, they are for many people, in more convenient locations, and are more likely to visit patients at home, especially those who are increasingly immobilized by advanced stages of AIDS. So the answer is no, herbal traditional medicine cannot cure this devastating disease, but it is doing just as western medicine, helping ease its effects on the people living with it. (4)

As can be seen there are many benefits to the use of herbal medicine, but while researching one can as well find a few negative effects of using this type of medicine. The safety and effectiveness of alternative medicines have not been scientifically proven and remain largely unknown. A number of herbs are thought to be likely to cause adverse effects. "Adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal.” (6) One example of a commonly wrongly identified plant is a species of aloe; aloe is extensively used in traditional African medicine, but some forms such as Aloe globiligemma are toxic and can result in death if used. The same goes for the ornamental tree Calotropis procera, with its medicinally useful bark yret lethal flowers, the same plant has both beneficial and toxic effects. “Many herbs have shown positive results with in-vitro, animal model or small-scale clinical tests, but many studies on herbal treatments have also found negative results.” (5) The quality of the trials on herbal remedies is highly variable and many trials of herbal treatments have been found to be of poor quality. 

One other negative effect of traditional medicine include, the endangering of local plant populations. Yes, it is seen that the Prunus Africana plant that is curing many men of prostate problems, but how long can we cut down this wild plant before it goes extinct?  On January 18, 2008, the Botanic Gardens Conservation International stated that “400 medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, from over-collection and deforestation, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease." These included Yew Trees (the bark is used for cancer drugs, paclitaxel; Hoodia (from Namibia, source of weight loss drugs); half of Magnolias (used as Chinese medicine for 5,000 years to fight cancer, dementia and heart disease); and Autumn crocus (for gout). (1) If the use of this plant life for medicine, and the decline of the growth of these species increases, the future of potential global health care will certainly be damaged. Along with a non regulation of cutting down African wild plants there is also low regulation on the practice and distribution of traditional medicine. 

“Not many countries have national policies for traditional medicine. Regulating traditional medicine products, practices and practitioners is difficult due to variations in definitions and categorizations of traditional medicine therapies.” (6) Traditional medicine is of course Africa’s prominent way of handling the sick, but because of colonialism and the mixing of cultures in Africa, western medicine is becoming highly common and developing greater each year. Author David Helwig describes a town incorporating the mixing of both traditional and western medicine in his article from the Encyclopedia of Traditional Alternative Medicine. In the town of KwaMhlanga, South Africa there sits a hospital said to be the first of its kind. Founded by a traditional African healer, this 48 room hospital implicates the techniques of both traditional healing and western healing methods. Governments and researchers in several countries have begun to bridge the gap between the two healthcare systems using modern science to confirm the effectiveness of ancient remedies. In some places such as South Africa where traditional medicine is being integrated into existing health systems, the use of both systems of medicine is actively encouraged. Many countries in Africa are open to western technology but still stay rooted in their own cultural and social values, here traditional and modern medical therapies tend to converge. The result could mean a formal relationship between a patient and physician with the more spiritual bond between patient and traditional healer.

So far we see much information on the mixing of theses two practices to be beneficial, yet there is a slight tendency in the western oriented tradition to focus on the risks and pay down traditional African medicine and healers. As described by De Smet “It is unfair to pas judgement on African healing systems, but we cannot deny the drawbacks of traditional medicine, which include incorrect diagnosis, imprecise dosage, low hygiene standards, the secrecy of some healing methods and the absence of written records about the patients.” (2) The way African traditional medicine is preformed is unsuitable for cultures outside of Africa such as the United States, but for those living in the outskirts of Africa, where modern medicine is unreachable, and those who have believed in this from the stories of their ancient ancestors, this medicine can be an amazing gift to their well being and life longevity. 

In conclusion, African society has been relying on traditional medicine to heal their sick for thousands of years. Traditional medicine is the use of indigenous herbalism combined with the aspects of African spirituality; this practice is not only still predominately used in Africa today, but also becoming well recognized by many cultures outside of Africa. The use of herbal remedies has been proven to help heal many medical ailments yet can also cause adverse affects even more difficult problems if used incorrectly. Although there are many diverse views on traditional medicine in the United States, our society may need to look more into the combination of western medicine with traditional medicine. It is possible we can gain more knowledge on the treatment of such diseases as AIDS and cancer. Both practices can work together to formulate new ideas and use each others research to ensure the use of safe, effective and quality products and practices. If we can acknowledge traditional medicine as part of primary health care, we can possibly increase access to care and preserve resources.

Works Cited

(1) BBC news, . "Medicinal plants 'facing threat'." BBC News Health 19 Jan. 2008: 1. Web. 7 Dec 2009. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7196702.stm>. 

(2) De Smet, Peter. "Herbs, health and healers: Africa as Ethnopharmacological ." (1999): Print.

(3) Helwig, David. "Traditional African Medicine." Answers.com. 11/24/09. Answers Corporation, Web. 24 Nov 2009. <http://www.answers.com/topictraditionalafrican-medicine>.

(4) Mills, Edward, Curtis Cooper, and Izzy Kanfer. Traditional African medicine in the treatment of HIV. 5. The Lancet, 2005. 465-467. Print.

(5) Serbulea, Mihaela. "Old meets new in West Africa's medicine mix." SciDev Net 1. (2005): 2. Web. 7 Dec 2009. <http://www.scidev.net/en/ featuresold-meets-new-in-west-africas-medicine-mix.html>.

(6) Van Der Geest, Sjaak, The professionalization of African Medicine. 1st. 59. Manchester: manchester university press, U.K, 1986. 130-146. Print.

(7) "World Health organization." Traditional Medicine. Dec. 2008. WHO Media centre, Web. 7 Dec 2009. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets fs134/en/>.

Eating Habits around the world

In this paper I will be writing about the differences and changes in eating habits around the world.
-Preparation of food
- History
-Current
-Pro's and Con's of how things have changed
Change in Family Habits
- Time with family during meals
-Location of meals
-examples of culture application
Eating as a life style Issue
-Fast Food
-Use of preservatives
-Not home grown/ pre made foods
In conclusion eating habits around the world have changedimmensely.

Outline Final Paper

• Outline Traditional Medicine in Africa
  
• Intro
• “Traditional African medicine is a holistic discipline involving extensive use of indigenous herbalism combined with aspects of African spirituality.” (Helwig, 1)
• Throughout this paper one can view the many different types of medicine used in Africa, The positive and negative affects of this medicine, and how the United States views this practice.
• Types of Medicine
• Plant animal and mineral based
• Spiritual Therapies
• Manual techniques and exercise
• Positive and Negative affects of this Medicine
• Positive
• Cure cancers
• Psychiatric disorders
• High Blood Pressure
• Diseases + Others
• Negative
• Side Affects
• Deterioration of plants
• Witchcraft
• How the United States views this practice
• Administration in U.S
• Affordable and Assessable
• Into the wrong hands/used incorrectly
• Conclusion

Helwig, David. "Traditional African Medicine." Answers.com. 11/24/09. Answers Corporation, Web. 24 Nov 2009. <http://www.answers.com/topic/ traditional-african-medicine>.

Final Paper Topic!

Traditional Medicine in Africa

• I wish to discuss the different types of Medicine used in Africa
• The positive and negative affects of this medicine
• And what the United States thinks about this practice

Report #3 Ethiopia

Interview #3

11/7/09

Eng. 191.21

Interviewer: Maria Wollak

Interviewee: Theodrose Ayle

My third interview went incredibly well, as much as I wanted to spice things up with this one, I still stuck to my original style and format. I was planning on picking a new location to meet up with this student, yet ended up again at the same place in the library. The spot I had conducted all three interviews worked perfect. It was a neutral location that most students know where it is and the environment contained very limited distractions. I also did not change my questions or objectives up, I did this not because it was easier but because I wanted to be able to compare the stories and life styles across Africa. I now can look at each question I asked and see how the people in each separate country differ or are alike. I video recorded this interview the same as the last two, with my digital camera, thankfully this time the battery did not run out. I again asked politely if my interviewee did not mind for me to do this, and with his permission I set it on top of a few books and we began our interview.

The student I interviewed last is Theodrose Ayle, from Ethiopia. Throughout this entire assignment I have came up with many ways to find students to talk to. My first and second interviewee’s were the hardest to approach I had to work up the courage to start a conversation with someone I had never met before. One student I found working in the library, and my second I chose to approach a girl in my class, my third and last interview was a bit easier, Sisay, one of my group members in class is from Ethiopia, we were talking and I had mentioned I was still looking for another student from Africa to interview, Sisay was more than happy to help and found me one of his friends from Ethiopia. We exchanged contact information and met up a few days later in the library. We set the interview date through e-mailing to be November 4th 2009 at 7:00pm, yet we had to switch that around a bit due to a few interruptions in our schedules. The actual interview took place three days later the 7th at the same time.

Through the new beauty of texting, I could describe to Theodrose where exactly I was and what I was wearing so he could get to the library and find me with ease. He walked toward me, I stood up and we politely shook hands and introduced ourselves. He was very charming and also dresses nice. The Interview went incredibly well, Theodrose was more than willing to share with me everything about his life, family, values and much more. I am happy I was given the chance to talk with a male international student, the woman were very pleasant to talk with as well but it was nice to here life living in America from a males perspective. Patricia and Bishaaro described not being able to get close to many males in America, but Theodrose, being that he is a male found it easy to become close friends with both males and females. He even talked about having a girlfriend in Minnesota. With Theodrose’s interview I was not nervous at all, which made him completely at ease as well. We talked like friends just getting to know one another, hopefully we can become closer friends in the future.

Theodrose Ayle is a international student from Ethiopia. He was born and raised in their capital city, Addis Ababa. About 15 years ago his family decided to come to the United States for a chance at a higher education. Theodrose and his family had friends that had also moved to the United States a few years before them. The friends settled in Minneapolis Minnesota, since it is hard to come here and not know anyone Theodrose said his family decided to come to Minnesota as well. From when Theodrose was 8 till he was 18 he lived in the cites with his family, going to school with his brothers and sisters. He applied for a scholarship to St. Cloud State and got accepted, he has now been going to St. Cloud State for 6 years and will be graduating with a masters in Finance. I talked with Theodrose about many of his interests her, he said he enjoys trying new sports although he has not much time for them. A funny thing conversation we got into was about pets. I had never realized before how funny Americans must look with their pets. He said he still laughs at the crazy things we do with them, in his country Ethiopia you may have a stray dog or two as your own, but would never imagine it riding in cars and wearing outfits.

Theodrose and I’s conversation flowed very smoothly, simply switching from one topic to the next. It was very enjoyable to learn and laugh with him about his experiences. Unlike the others, Theodrose periodically would ask about my own life, I was not expecting this but was excited to share with him a few of my views. I would pause numerous times to make sure he got in all he had to share about each topic then easily moved on. He was very funny to listen to, he also opened my eyes to many new ideas. At one point our conversation got a little deep, we began to talk about life and the complicated busy society in America. We discussed the need to slow down and take in every day. Theodrose said in his country there is plenty time for friends and family, but in America life is too busy.

I am very glad our conversation went the way it did, but the reason I chose to not transcribe it is because we got into long conversations. Our talk was at least a half hour and I could not transcribe it well if I had to cut out some of the pieces. I would have like for everyone to here what Theodrose had to say but it would have not been a complete transcription, and the conversations dragged on into some personal stories and deep discussions. In conclusion I have truly enjoyed all of these interviews. They are such a good way to meet new people, and people you may probably never approach on your own. Although SCSU is a very diverse school we still have a long ways to go. With students participating in these interviews each year, we are on our way more than ever to a completely diverse integrated college.

What I learned about Ethiopia; through the help of research and this interview I have gotten to know so much about the continent of Africa and its amazing countries. Ethiopia “Ethiopia is in Eastern Africa and lies west of Somalia. Sudan is to its North and Kenya to its South.” (1) Ethiopia is landlocked meaning it does not touch the ocean on any part of the country, yet it in past time bordered the red sea until Ethiopia's entire coastline was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993. The terrain consists of a high plateau with a central mountain range divided by the Great Rift Valley. “Ethiopia is a land of enormous ethnic diversity, with people of Semitic, Cushitic, Nilotic and Omotic stock. There are more than 80 ethnic groups and as many language.” (2) Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, and Arabic are some of the languages, English is the main one taught to school children. “Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oil seeds, and pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar” (2)

Ethiopia’s government type is a federal republic it is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years. Since October 2001 its countries president GIRMA Woldegiorgis has held office. The religion of Ethiopians varies from Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, and other 3%-8 %.( 1) Education in Ethiopia is a little rough, that is why we see many international students from the area. “The sequence of general education in Ethiopia is six years of primary school, four years of lower secondary school and two years of higher secondary school. In 2004 school enrollment was below that of many other African countries. Half the populations of Ethiopia are illiterate”. (3) I was fascinated by all the interesting facts about this country, it was wonderful to be able to listen to someone like Theodrose teach me about something after I have learned a bit through researching. Getting to know Theodrose and his country really broadened my knowledge about Africa and its people.

1:http://www.ethiopiantour.com/ 11/6/09

2: http://goafrica.about.com/library/bl.mapfacts.ethiopia.htm 11/06/09

3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia 11/6/09

Report and Interview #2

Interview #2

11/3/2009

Eng. 191.21

Interviewer: Maria Wollak

Interviewee: Patricia Isapue

Date of Interview: 10/28/09

The preparations I made for this interview were very similar to that of those for my first interview. My objectives were the same, I wanted to still look and act somewhat professional, create a comfortable atmosphere for the interview, enjoy a calm easy flowing conversation with my interviewee and much more. I also had used the same questions for this interview, I felt I had picked out top questions for my first interview that helped the conversation flow nicely and touch on all the aspects I wanted to learn from my interviewee. Because I believed my first interview went flawless, I did most everything else the same. I used the same recording device, which was my personal camera. It worked well for the recording yet this time there was a technical difficulty, the camera ran out of batteries in the end of the conversation, thankfully I had gotten all my main questions in before that point. I also used the same location for my second interview. We sat up on the second floor of the library in comfortable chairs with the camera on the table facing us. 

The student I interviewed is a woman in my race and ethnicity class, she was actually the student who I had sought out to interview first, yet could not make the first date. I approached her once more in class to see if she would be willing to try again to set up an interview. She was excited and let me know she could interview that day. It was wednesday the 28th at 2:00 p.m. that we decided we would meet up in the library and do the interview. She found me there and we walked together over to the quiet location. My interviewee’s name is Patricia I had no need to ask her for that though because we had talked several times in our morning class together. Patricia was a little more nervous for the interview than my first interviewee Bishaaro, which is sort of funny because I was more nervous for the first and completely calm for this one. 

We sat down at our chairs and I asked politely if I could video record our conversation, she was very cool about this and actually wanted me to take her picture as well. I will post this picture on my blog for the class to see who patricia is. Patricia helped me gather books to set the camera on, then I pressed the start button and our conversation began. I began asking simple questions and holding long pauses to make her feel comfortable and get in the mindset of thinking about her past and culture. Patricia had a lot to say about each question, she was a great interviewee choice because she really gave me a lot of solid organized information. 

It was very enjoyable to learn about Patricia’s life, many of these international student have so much to share its unbelievable. Patricia was born in eastern Nigeria, she lived there for many years until her father had won their family some sort of lottery for the opportunity to come to America about seven years ago. Patricia her parents and her four sisters traveled together out of Nigeria and settled in Miami Florida. All of them went to college in Florida, her mom got a degree as an LPN and her father and sisters are still going. Patricia decided to venture out away from the family and move to St. Cloud MN, so she could strictly focus on school and not all the other responsibilities in Miami. She is 22 years old and studying to also be a nurse like her mother. Patricia had to struggle to meet people when she got here, a major way she went about this was by joining boxing. She loves to fight and did it a lot back home so this opportunity was great for her in enjoyment and also making new friends in Minnesota. Patricia loves life in America she says she has met so many wonderful people here and enjoys the fact that she is now perfectly fluent in english. There was so much to learn about Patricia, I believe we could have sat there and talked for hours. 

I deeply enjoyed this interview and the last, from my vantage point everything for both have gone entirely smooth. I’d have to say this second one was a little better than the first because I had learned from my small mistakes in the first. I stayed more on track with this interview. In the first, I felt I did not get all my questions answered to there best potential because we would get side tracked for periods of time. Like Bishaaro I felt a great connection with Patricia, she is a very open happy person just as myself. We had a wonderful conversation, at times it was very serious, yet other moments had us both laughing. I glad Patricia and I had exchanged numbers, she is definitely the type of person I will call up sometime to meet up. I feel that interview together had her open up to things she has not been able to tell anyone else here in Minnesota. What really moved me was the struggles she faced when she arrived here. To me Patricia is an incredibly strong person, she survived the abuse of an uncle she was set up to live with and ventured out to find her own home where she has now been living for 3 years. I was very in awe of everything she had to tell me, and could not imaging going through the things she did. Having been assigned these interviews in the beginning was very rough to here. I had assumed this would be a long difficult project, yes it was long but I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. I realized although a task may seem hard if you just stick it out for a while maybe you will actually get something good out of it. As I grow throughout my college years and life after I hope to continue to look at every opportunity this way, never settling to miss one because I think it could be too difficult.

Not only by doing this interview did I learn about Patricia and myself, by researching I also learned a bit about her home country Nigeria. Nigeria is located on the west coast of Africa next to the Gulf of Guinea. As Patricia pointed out there are many separations of people in Nigeria. Many are in groups called tribes, Patricia labels herself in the tribe named Igbo other tribes she described include, Hausa; that includes the muslims in the north, Yuroba and then Igbo’s who are in the east. “Nigeria is a Federal Republic just the same as the United States, with power exercised by the president. The current president of Nigeria is Umaru Musa Yar Adua was elected in 2007. The president presides as both Chief of State and Head of Government and is elected by popular vote to a maximum of two four-year terms.” (1) 

Patricia explained many times the need of fighting for freedom in her country, she mentioned Nigeria has had a few civil wars between the government and the tribal people. Oil is a huge in Nigeria, it is their leading export. She said this is what caused a big problem in their country, the government was not dispersing this income appropriately and Nigerian tribal people were starving and dying of disease, while the government and head people lived in wealth. Compared to my last report on Somalia the conflicts in Nigeria don’t even come close. Nigeria is  the United States’ largest trading partner in Africa, the country has a good deal of money and is becoming more and more like the United States each day. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and is one of the most diverse as well, right now Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates in the world. Many people living in Nigeria speak english yet many also stick to their tribal languages. It is common for parents to send their children to english speaking schools, because like Patricia stated speaking english shows your educated and education means power.  “The rate of secondary school attendance is 32 percent for males and 27 percent for females. In 2004 the Nigerian National Planning Commission described the country’s education system as “dysfunctional.” (1) For this reason we see many Nigerians moving to the United States for higher education. Away from the more negative side Nigeria, its culture and people are very beautiful. 

Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs. They celebrate wonderful feasts with varieties of foods. Something I loved learning from Patricia was the Nigerian cultural way to celebrate holidays. I brought up the word presents and she laughed quite a bit. To her giving presents was ridiculous. For Nigerians the gift of wishing well fortune and happiness was enough for them. Food was also a major thing at holiday celebrations, everyone brought something to share and no one went hungry. Birthdays are not heard of in Nigeria, but Patricia’s family does celebrate them now that they live in America. Sports in Nigeria compare somewhat to ours in America, “Football is their national sport, in 2007 it was the top ranked football nation in Africa. Nigerians also play basketball, cricket, track and field and boxing.” (1)  There is much to learn about Nigeria, although there are many things far different from America there are still so many things our cultures share in common. Having the information I learned from Patricia helped me greatly see all the wonderful things about this country I would have never learned just by researching.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria 11/02/09

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107847.html 11/02/09

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ngtoc.html 11/02/09

Interview:

M: Me (Maria)

P: Patricia 

M: Hello my name is Maria, what is yours?

P: Hi, my name is Patricia Isapue

M: How old are you Patricia?

P: I am 23 years old.

M: And where are you from

P:  I am from Nigeria, actually from east Nigeria. I was born in the Ebu land, a tribe called Ebu I am full blooded Ebu.

M: Ebu is a tribe?

P: Ebu is one of the three major tribes in Nigeria, um we have a lot of tribes but the three major ones are Hausa; that includes the muslims in the north, Yuroba and then Igbo’s we are in the east of the country. We have history, there was a time when we fought some wars to separate from Nigeria oppression..The country, there is a lot of history but lets not go too deep (laughs) lets just say the Igbo are like the suppressed tribes, and you try to leave Nigeria, the oppression to come to the United States. To gain knowledge and freedom.. you know

M: Yes, so most of your tribe is trying to do that?

P: Yes most of them if they get the opportunity they will do that.

M: And how many years ago did you get to do that?

P: I came with my family from Nigeria in 2002, thats about roughly seven years now, and a we won the lottery to come here. We are the lucky family.

M: So you sign up for the lottery in Nigeria?

P: Yes you fill out a form, which my dad did. We did not even know he did that, he didn’t even pay attention to it. But it came back like wow we won! He’s like I’m definitely goin

M: He just singed up didn’t think he was going to get it at all

P: He signed up on the last day, he was not expecting anything. Someone pushed him to do it. He came back from Holland years before that, he knew he wanted to go to America but had no idea this would be how.

M: So now you live over here, do you live with your parents or brothers and sisters?

P: I only have sisters, four others and me. I am the oldest, I lived with them in Miami Florida, where we settled when we first came. I lived with them for about four years, before i moved here to minnesota.. I live by myself now.

M: And your parents are still in Miami with your other sister?

P: Yes they are, they moved to the northern part of Florida, Gainsview, they moved there because there is a University there. My dad is going there with my two oldest sisters.

M: I see, what is your mom doing?

P: My mom was a teacher in Nigeria, actually a principal, when she came here it was hard for her to get a job so she switched her major to nursing she is now working as and  LPN 

M: Did your family speak english before you came to the united states?

P: Before we came here my dad told us that education has power. Forget the people with weapons, money of course they count but education is more powerful. So he really strived to put down every dime he had to send us to a english speaking school. So we are able to communicate with other people. English was a common language in Nigeria, so the white people thought. But everyone in Nigeria speaks their own language. I speak my own language there was no need for english but I went to an english school, my dad made that very certain we did.

M: So you knew english very early?

P: As much as it was taught to us it was only still the grammar and small words. There was not much need to speak it at home.

M: Do you get to speak your home language here at all, for example when you call your family.

P: Yes, back in Miami when we lived together we would not speak english, we speak our native tounge. Here in Minnesota I don’t really speak my language because I have not really found people who speak it. But thats o.k I feel more fluent in english and like that.

M: You are very good at speaking english.

M: Have you made more friends here from your culture or region, or from American culture?

P: I have met people from Nigeria but they do not speak my language, so well in terms of having more friends... I don’t box myself in certain groups, I’m in an elect board of African American students so you think 99% africans so yea in that regard have have more african friends. 

M: I see that in class you talk with everyone I’m sure thats how your personal life is too.

P: Yea, Thats my life I don’t attach more feelings because someone is african, I have a diverse pool of friends. You know I treat people based on what they bring to the table what their values are. If your african and have no values get out of my life (laughs)

M: What do you think of life in America, is it different than yo expected?

P: Oh life in America is complex, more complex than the media hype in Nigeria, Life in America is beautiful, yet it is very easy to get side tracked from what you want to do. It is easy to loose focus because there are so many things in a day to do, a lot of things we don’t have back home.. you see freedom we don’t have freedom back home, so it a very very broad question. Life in America is good and bad, so with Nigeria. Nigeria is a very community based society. If I’m doing bad stuff everyone will see and judge my parents on their child raising.

M: Do you see here you are more on your own, as an individual?

P: Yes yes that is the major difference I see, the collectivist culture rather than individualistic culture, here in American we promote individuality. That on its own is not somethin we teach back home, it is good and bad.

M: You said your fighting for freedom or rights what is that like?

P: For me as a woman growing up with 4 sisters in a culture centered around males it a male dominated community. It was hard for my parents but my dad had to get it together and lead us, people were constantly mocking my mother for having 5 girls. We have to constantly fight to represent our family. I had to step up and fend for our family. If it means physical fighting, I do. I did

M: You do

P: Yes a lot of it, I have scars to prove it. 

M: Being the oldest you felt the need to stand up.

P: Yes there was a definite need. you know my dad taught me every value we are not a fighting family but sometimes people push you so far you have to push back.

M: That is good you stand up for yourself... sorry to change topics here but what are you going to school for?

P: I’m going to school to become a nurse, growing up in a collectivist culture you do things because it will benefit others, Yes what you like is important but you have to consider others. People around you are dying and you go study art. I see others before I see myself.

M: Do you think you followed your mom with that too a little.

P: Yes and no we don’t really follow, she is setting a good example but we just want to help.

M: Again I will switch topics, How about living in the cold minnesota weather, what do you think of that as compared to Miami?

P: Miami is very very beautiful, there are a lot of Nigerian’s, we even have our own mass. It was really really nice. I love the community, the Ebu community. Leaving Miami to come to minnesota was a difficult choice but I had to. The forces pushed me. I did not see snow as an obstacle because I have bigger dreams. It’s a lot different but my goals have not changed.

M: It was the schooling then mainly that brought you here?

P: Yes, and there were a lot of distractions back home, it was a fast life. I had too much responsibility. I am only me and I am young i couldn’t keep focus on my education. So thank god I caught myself and decided to come here to concentrate on education and me. So i left everybody.

M: Do you get to see them ever?

P: Yes I got to see them last year, and I will see them again this christmas

M: So christmas and holidays do you celebrate them like american culture?

P: We celebrate them yes but they are a little different, we cook a lot for everyone, and drums its huge no body goes hungry.

M: How about gifts?

P: Oh boy, there are no presents the presents are the food. 

M: Is that strange?

P: Christmas gifts are you kidding, ha we don’t even celebrate birthdays, my dad gives us the choice of cake or ice cream now here in America.

M: Is that strange to celebrate your birthday here?

P: Its great I have a day for myself! I make my dad celebrate me :) yet we do not do gifts. We do pray a lot for the person. The best gift is to pray for good life.

(Then my camera died) 

But we went on to talk about her life back home, her grandma who was very special to her and how her dad is her greatest hero. We talked more about the fighting she did how she turned that into boxing her in St. Cloud. I then got her whole story of the hardships she suffered in Minnesota being pretty much homeless in our winter months without food. I finished with what she will do next. She described wanting to stay here maybe get a masters in communications and such. We talked all the way till the door then said our goodbyes. 

Revised country information

Maria Wollak

Eng. 191

Somalia:

Government

Somalia is a very disrupt country, it has many issues with its government system. In 1991 the countries president left office, and since have been in a civil war. “The U.S use to have an embassy in Somalia yet that shut down when the government collapsed” (2)

Location

According to bcc.co Somalia is located on the east coast of Africa, for many it is called the horn of Africa, and is slightly the size of texas” (2) Somalia’s terrain is mainly flat plain with a few hills to the north and the air is dry and humid.

People

Somalia’s population is near 9 million many are starving or diseased because of war and the emptiness of the land, “1/3 of the population is dependent on food aid”(1) Most of Somalia’s goods are shipped in from other countries, they are given much aid. Many refugees are sent out of Somalia to places like the United States for protection from war. They are not allowed back, also many people around the world are told to not travel to Somalia.

Religion

The Somali religion is Islam, the people pray in Mosques to  their God named Ala, “Somali people are refrained from drinking, gambling, pork and paying interest.” (3) Marriage in Somalia had always been arranged favoring cousins to marry one another, now a days marriage is based on romance. The men and women of Somalia wear much clothing to cover there skin. The women especially are covered in dress covering there head and entire body.

Food

The main food of Somali culture is meat, farming is its main industry along with fishing, so many of the meals are based around a meat, and many contain a wide variety of vegetables. “Today, about 60% of all Somalis are nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists who raise cattle, camels, sheep, and goats.” (2)

1: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2863.htm#at 10/26/09

2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072592.stm 10/26/09

3: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Culture_of_Somalia 10/26/09