SIXTH BOOK: “The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa”

Written By Sophia Senyo

For our sixth book, we are reading “The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa” by Dayo Olopade.

The path to progress in Africa lies in the surprising and innovative solutions Africans are finding for themselves.

Dayo Olopade knew from personal experience that Western news reports on conflict, disease, and poverty obscure the true story of modern Africa. So, she crossed sub-Saharan Africa to document how ordinary people deal with their daily challenges.

. . .

Everywhere Olopade went, she witnessed the specific creativity born from African difficulty—a trait she began calling kanju. She found what cable news ignores: a continent of ambitious reformers and young social entrepreneurs, driven by kanju. It’s a trait found in and embodied by pioneers and bootstrapping innovators like Kenneth Nnebue, who turned his low-budget, straight-to-VHS movies into a multimillion-dollar film industry known as Nollywood. Or Soyapi Mumba, who helped transform cast-off American computers into touchscreen databases that allow hospitals across Malawi to process patients in seconds. Or Ushahidi, the Kenyan technology collective that crowdsources citizen activism and disaster relief.

The Bright Continent calls for a necessary shift in our thinking about Africa. Olopade shows us that the increasingly globalized challenges Africa faces can and must be addressed with the tools Africans are already using to solve these problems themselves. Africa’s ability to do more with less—to transform bad government and bad aid into an opportunity to innovate—is a clear ray of hope amidst the dire headlines and a powerful model for the rest of the world.

[Overview and descriptions from Barnes and Noble and Amazon]

List of videos we watched, shared and/or discussed this month:

WEEK ONE SUMMARY

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Chapter 1 "Orientation": In the context the author is talking about, what do you think of the quote she adds "don't think. but look!"?

  2. Chapter 2 "Kanju": What do you think of Kanju?

  3. Chapter 2 "Kanju": What do you think about Nollywood (Naija films) got started?

  4. Chapter 4: "Stuff we dont want": what do you think about how the secondhand garment industry (clothing from western countries) is negatively impacting the local textile industries across Africa?

Discussion Summary:

  • Regarding the first prompt: Members thought that this was spot on “don’t think. But look!”. You haven’t seen and you are talking about doing something you haven’t seen. Go look at what is actually going on before you form an opinion or start taking action. Or you are talking about something in a philosophical way or theoretical way and ignoring what is right in front of you.

    • Others elaborated on this that this is very clear that don’t judge or just start basing your opinion on just one perspective and form a conclusion. Go seek and get the full picture.

    • One member noted that they really agree with this because so many people say you cant do business in africa or with your own people because they will disappoint. But then you look around at how all other nationalities are benefiting from doing working in Africa. And then you think about how when you look around africa people are always hustling and doing. So there is a disconnect between what i am seeing versus the stories we continue to perpetuate. And when you think about how african countries got independence, yes one person may have been the poster child but there were others many of whom unknown who contributed to those efforts. And then you look at the diaspora too and see their work ethic. And I think about the investigative journalist mentioned in chapter 2, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who wanted to bring truth to light about some bad things going on so something can be done about it and he has other people who help him do this.

    • And also how we have all seen so many stories like Gladys in real life across Africa. Someone who creates something out of nothing. Using an abandoned lot near her apartment complex to grow food and sell the extra until someone says they should stop.

  • Regarding the second prompt: Members noted that yes Africans know how to hustle even if it is just selling ice water on the street. You see people out there hustling. Even when they immigrant abroad, they go through so many things to survive. Even those who were well to do in Africa, even when they go abroad they also even know how to hustle because it is naturally in us to hustle.

    • Other members noted that we all know this about africans. It is innate and natural. Even seeing the women and men carrying the loads on their heads. Because if they wait for the government then nothing will ever happen.

    • One member noted that it is true that Africans are natural inventors and entrepreneurs out of necessity but also this innovative spirit is in them.

    • One excerpt mentioned this chapter: "In the West, he writes, 'there's a sense of infinite choice, but a very conventional set of options from which to choose.' By contrast, 'in Lagos there is no choice - but there are countless ways to articulate the condition of no choice.'.

    • Another excerpt that was mentioned: "Kanju solutions, I determined, take inventory: What do I have? What do I need? What can I do? What can I do without?". And one member noted that not explicitly mentioned in this excerpt but is clear through the chapter perhaps you can also add this "And how can i get started today".

    • Another member noted that yes while Kanju is evident in the form of struggle, even when Africa is prosperous Kanju will still be there. It is not a bad or good thing. It is a spirit of creativity that will show up as yes selling items on the street to survive but it is the same energy and spirit that can establish cross continental clean renewable energy.

  • Regarding the third prompt: Some members commented that this is just another example of Kanju. The creator of this had something that would have gone to waste and decided to make something out of nothing even if it was not done with high quality or all the money. He just made it work.

    • One member mentioned how they were always amazed about Naija films and even more so today. How they started and how they had a global reach even back then you could find people bringing these dvds or vhs to the US to the diaspora and you could watch them at the hair salon or at a family member's house. And how names like Noah Ramsey were so popular amongst the diaspora before facebook and social media. And now you see Naija films on Netflix and all cultures enjoying them and talking about them.

  • Regarding the fourth prompt: Many members noted that even Africans from the diaspora are part of this issue. That many have been misled and were always sending clothes back home. And noted that they will no longer be a part of this problem.

    • Other members noted that this secondhand garment thing has been going possibly since Ghana’s independence and possibly before.

    • One member noted that it is a system that is trying to create reliance and poverty.

    • Some mentioned that they don’t think that African countries should take it. Because textiles create jobs for locals and then they are wearing their own things.

    • Many members also noted that it is not only bad for the African economy, but it is also bad for the environment because so many of those items end up in landfills.

    • And it is also destroying the culture too.

WEEK TWO SUMMARY

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Chapter 5: What do you think of the Family Map presented in Chapter 5?

  2. Chapter 5: What are your thoughts on the fact that at the time of this book, the diaspora combined sends $21.5 billion back home (probably more)?

  3. Chapter 6: What did you think of the chapter on the technology map?

  4. Based on what you read up to this point of the book and your own experiences, what do you think would be a better alternative to the overall approach of aid to Africa and financing like the World Bank and IMF?

Discussion Summary:

  • Regarding the first prompt:

    • One member noted that they think the Family Map is the only reason why Africa did not fall into utter despair during and after colonization. The family map is part of the DNA of the people that it is the only way to make any progress. The community has to be involved in some way.

    • Other members noted that they had mixed feelings about it. That it was nice but it is not necessarily still present in what they see when they go back home to Africa. The Family map was present when they were younger but in the past couple of decades they feel like that it has started to disappear. Also, that their experience growing up in Africa, their experience with this concept of the Family Map was more with the blood family and relatives and the surrounding homes like if you grew up in the same area in the village.

    • Some noted that they are not sure if the Family Map, communal togetherness, is even there anymore and they are not sure if it will ever return in the same way.

  • Regarding the second prompt:

    • One member noted that they think this information is so astonishing and imagine if every penny of that money was used responsibly so family members started businesses, had their own farms and gardens to feed their families, and for academic fees.

    • Another member noted that this figure shows how many Africans are in the diaspora and how strong they still have ties to their family and community back home. And they hope that the money used back home is used in a way that improves the lives of those back home.

    • Other members noted that now if the diaspora and those back home start to use this money for larger community projects then they can create something tangible that will allow those back home to build something self-sustainable. Instead of just sending more for “hand to mouth” things.

    • The figure also shows how strong the concept of the Family Map is that the diaspora has not forgotten those back home.

    • All the members noted that this figure is also probably a lot more because there are those who just send small cash through someone who is traveling.

  • Regarding the third prompt:

    • One member noted that they think this chapter highlights a positive aspect of the Internet and technology. Imagine if all the money spent on Artificial Intelligence or dating websites or other foolish things was instead used for these good things.

    • Another member noted that this chapter truly illustrated or evoked the title of the book that Africa is a bright continent with all these projects happening across Africa and that any progress kind of does require a need to break rules when the government infrastructures are stifling. And hopefully the infrastructure will change so that people can truly thrive with their innovation and benefit all with the support of the government and community leaders.

    • Many noted that the youth are very inspiring with all their projects and innovations and they are so bright.

  • Regarding the fourth prompt:

    • Some members stated: They think all solutions have to have a clear path of full independence for the local community. So it has to use local resources, has to involve training and input from local resources, has to from the beginning have a sustainable organization structure, has to take into account being set up so corruption cannot exist, has to from the beginning have an African as a co-leader and identify more than one person that will be the ongoing leaders moving forward so they are involved from the very beginning in a leadership role, it has to have sustainable resources and financing and leadership succession so it needs to figure out how to work going forward without needing more funding or relying solely on one person.

    • Some members noted that they think the aid and reliance on world bank/imf needs to stop because the people who get the money put the country into debt and it only goes into the hand of a few. This borrowing borrowing is not helping. It is better to make use of the resources that western countries and european countries and asian countries are extracting. Then we would be richer. And when it comes to aid that it should be targeted with grassroot organizations where you can trace the exact impact like literally who tangibly benefited from your donation and how.

WEEK THREE SUMMARY

Discussion Prompts:

  1. Chapter 7 - The Commercial Map: What did you think of this chapter?

  2. Chapter 7 - The Commercial Map: What do you think about "Africa provides a higher rate of return on investment than any other developing region of the world" even more than Brazil, Russia, India and China? What innovations/startups/businesses have you gotten to experience or be a customer of from a business/entrepreneur located back home?

  3. Chapter 8 - The Nature Map: What did you think of this chapter?

Discussion Summary:

  • Regarding the first prompt:

    • Some members noted that while they love the kanju spirit that continues to be evoked in this chapter, it is clear that the commercial map in africa is fragmented because of the lack of infrastructure. But if an individual or individuals can create organizations focused just on cohesiveness in each country, then it will allow for the people to have more power and reliability when it comes to simple and basic needs and even luxury items too.

    • Some members also noted that while there is kanju, there is still this energy of scarcity going on. And even for example with the carpenter who she asked how come you dont partner with the others and create a storefront and he said i dont have the money. It is like there is this invisible ceiling keeping the people and the minds in poverty. Not to say our people back home are not facing real unimaginable mountainous challenges but something has to change or we stay in this cycle of getting by. So it would be great if people could work together and create systems that allow for commerce to be more smooth and reliable. Even if they can get started in a small way that can be sustainably built upon.

    • One member noted that commerce creates opportunities for others.

    • Other members noted that without organization or structure then it is not so viable. And it would be great if the government could just be organized enough to allow these systems to thrive or at the very least not create so many challenges that choke these efforts.

  • Regarding the second prompt:

    • Some members noted that this is astonishing because the news and media shows a different message. But also when you go back home you do see all the opportunities.

    • One member noted that in terms of businesses they are aware of: there was the launch of a business that was the zillow of africa that was launched in ghana, it was called Plotam. Also, there is Iamhamamat who is an advocate for africa's economic prosperity and has a business in ecommerce/health and beauty/agriculture where she sells health and beauty products derived from shea. And also Robert Lamptey that launched and eventually sold Saya messaging platform.

  • Regarding the third prompt:

    • Some members noted that the innovation is inspiring but it seems that it is segmented still and its like nothing has truly taken transformational traction yet or gotten past the obstacles that can allow their innovation to benefit the majority of africa. At the same time there are more and more stories of the younger generation advocating for a return to the land and truly are taking up the mantle of agriculture.

    • Some members noted that this chapter brought up a lot of truths about how people look down on farming. But now everything is pointing to the fact that the land is where true prosperity is and that farming needs to be more respected. And many praised the doctor from the book who went back home to his country to do farming and how he has been extremely successful.

Sophia Senyo
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FIFTH BOOK: “Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah”