When it comes to talking about Africa, we often hear of a savior that has visited the land to save the day. In most cases, these saviors are celebrities or government officials. We hear about AIDS and other diseases, famine and civil unrest that plagues the continent. We hear of beautiful safaris and quotes from Nelson Mandela. A certain image of Africa is imprinted in our minds. This dawned on me after class sessions highlighted the media’s depiction of Africa as a “country” and how the continent is a lost case. The reality of the situation is that there are homegrown innovators that contribute to the betterment of their countries. In today’s post, I’m going to list down African women who are making life-changing innovations for the people in their communities and worldwide.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Nigeria
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While we may know her only from the sample that Beyoncé took from her Ted Talk, titled We Should All be Feminists, to use in her hit song “Flawless,” Adichie’s work spans much further than that. Adichie is a Nigerian writer whose work covers all realms of writing, from short stories to nonfiction. Having grown up reading only Western works, she began writing to give Nigerian youth, as well as those across the continent, a way to see themselves reflected in works of literature. In addition to this, Adichie is also very vocal when it comes to feminist movements and fighting for girls’ rights to education. Adichie is a global icon and I truly hope that she receives more recognition as time goes on.
- Muzalema Mwanza from Zambia
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A co-founder of the Safe Motherhood Alliance Zambia, Muzalema Mwanza created the “Baby Delivery Kit” for expectant mothers from low-income families in Zambia. Since the products are not provided by hospitals, the kit contains everything new mothers need after giving birth. With Mwanza leading an organization that produces thousands of delivery kits, she hopes to reduce the number of infections that newborns come down with upon birth.
- Beth Koigi from Kenya
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Beth Koigi innovated Majik Water, a device that produces affordable, safe and clean drinking water harvested from the air around us. This is a more affordable way of accessing drinking water for low-income Kenyans.
- Safiatou Nana from Sierra Leone
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With certain locations suffering from drought, farmers often struggle with the inability to grow their crops. In order to help herself and fellow farmers, Safiatou Nana created SolarKoodo, a portable water pumping system that allows farmers to pull water when supplies are low, as well as to provide electricity for citizens’ households!
- Agnes Kiragga from Uganda
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Agnes Kiragga is a statistician dedicated to fighting the HIV epidemic spreading in Uganda. Kiragga creates risk profiles for women, and attempts to provide and spread preventative methods women can take to stop them from catching the illness.
- Mariam Kamara from Niger
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Mariam Kamara is an architect who has dedicated her professional career to providing affordable housing for those in low-income communities. One of her solution-based practices are Niamey2000, which attempts to create affordable housing in Niger’s capital, Niamey. One of her feats include transforming a run-down mosque into a library in a community with a high population of youth.
The women listed above are just a fraction of the number of individuals dedicating their lives to making their countries in Africa better places. They are determined on providing their neighbors and fellow citizens with the same opportunities that so many of us take for granted. My hope is that we can begin to appreciate these women and their peers for their work, just as much as we appreciate foreigners who do less.