Africa, the mysterious, so-called forgotten continent, is quickly changing. There is a hunger for more freedom, for self-determination, for a slice of the economic pie. Countries like Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda are all experiencing this cry for change in different ways. Yet in each of these countries, the common person has a thirst for more of what they have tasted, of what they have seen, heard, or read about.

Africa is changing! It will never be like the West and to impose Western models upon Africa would be a big mistake. Democracy is a good case in point. The West often ties its aid money to how democratic the nation is. In a place like Uganda, citizens enjoy many freedoms but still have a type of leader who is a lot more in charge than even the President of the United States. His powers go unquestioned and most Ugandans would not have it any other way. Ugandans, for example, are enjoying many liberties though no political parties are allowed to function in elections as such. (Candidates must run on their own without a party) The last election in Uganda has caused some major problems and showed a heavy handedness by President Museveni that I found disappointing. Kenya, had a miracle take place on December 27th, 2002.  Mwai Kibaki was elected the new President of Kenya.  After almost 40 years of rule by the KANU party and 29 years of President Moi, Kenya's people are breathing a sigh of relief and hoping for a brighter future.  Rwanda, is still going through the rebuilding phase from the genocide of 1994 and President Kagame is attempting to prevent a repeat of past slaughters.  He is actually one of my personal favorites, he is attempting to put together a new Rwanda where harmony reign.  Sudan is a country deeply divided with an Arabic North that rules by Sharia law over an African South that is mostly Christian and animist rebelling against their loss of freedoms and way of life.  Lately Sudan has allowed Uganda to enter its space and pursue the Kony rebels, an effort to gain Uganda's friendship and move it away from an alliance with John Garang's SPLA in South Sudan.

Africa is filled with problems, yes, but also once Africa gets into you, you get into Africa. There is no place in the world like it. Most Westerners who live there, no matter what their country of origin or their color of skin either love or hate it.

One of the things I found so fascinating were the contrasts that so abound. The peace of nature and the violence of man, the abundance and the hunger, the slums of Nairobi and Kampala and the plush villas found in various places.
Yes, Africa gets into your blood once you have been there, whether you have lived there or visited, it never leaves you and sometimes you even take with you in your body such as malaria...hmmm.

Both of my older children have been there and both have said, "We will never be the same...jon...don't forget to sign the guest book and Visit Africa.