-
Continue reading →: 3 Things I’ve Learned From My Experiences with Cultural Bias against WomenI was in Abuja last week facilitating a workshop for government officials in West Africa. While there, I had an interesting conversation with some of the participants who work in the public sector about the early years of their careers when they faced some harsh discrimination because they were young and/or because they…
-
Continue reading →: Pass Me The Jollof And No one Gets HurtI know what you’re thinking – a blog about Jollof Rice – really?? Yes, really! Social media has been buzzing with this West African tomato-based rice dish and fueling an intense competition especially between Ghana and Nigeria about whose Jollof rice tastes better. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. The point is,…
-
Still We Rise ✊🏾: 2016 Year in Review
Published by
on
Continue reading →: Still We Rise ✊🏾: 2016 Year in ReviewHappy New Year, Readers of the Afrooptimist! I hope 2017 will be an exceptionally positive year for us all because 2016 was incredibly bizarre on so many levels. We saw pain and suffering escalate in Aleppo; Black lives mattering less and less in the US; the #whiteoscars; the passing away of heavy…
-
Continue reading →: Coffee, Chocolate, Plantain, Oh My! A Ghanaian in EcuadorYears ago when I wrote down my bucket list of places I wanted to visit, Ecuador was not on the list. I figured that if I ever had the opportunity to make my first visit to Latin America, it would probably be Brazil or Argentina or Peru… I was thinking…
-
Continue reading →: Meet Bouba Dieme: An Inspirational Social Entrepreneur!There is something inherently powerful and astonishing about individuals who are change makers; who are driven by ideas; who brilliantly execute these ideas and succeed at dramatically changing people’s lives. See for example, a list of Africa’s top social entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs are crucial to Africa’s development. In this blog, I feature…
-
Continue reading →: The Perfect Home: My Dream Home“Architecture is the constant fight between man and nature, the fight to overwhelm nature, to possess it. The first act of architecture is to put a stone on the ground. That act transforms a condition of nature into a condition of culture; it’s a holy act.” – Mario Botta I…
-
Continue reading →: 12 Treasured Moments from my 12 Years in South Africa25 September 2016 will mark my 12 year anniversary living and working in South Africa. This was never the plan. When I arrived with my two suitcases 12 years ago, the plan was to complete my one year contract, pay off the rest of my student loans and make my…
-
Continue reading →: Redefining Afro Chic In Interior DesignIf you could choose any profession other than what you currently have, what would it be? If I weren’t an economist and a wanna-be documentary filmmaker, photographer, chocolate-maker and writer (yes, all combined), I’d probably choose architecture or interior design. So much can be done with African fabrics beyond fashion. Very…
-
Continue reading →: 5 Reasons Why Ghana Is Bringing Sexy BackGhana, particularly its capital city, Accra, is multifaceted. It embodies the characteristics of a trendy middle class metropolis but at the same time struggles with substantive urban development problems. Despite these challenges, Ghana is culturally rich and its capital city is rapidly modernising with a distinctly Ghanaian flair. Accra is becoming exciting…
-
Continue reading →: Meet Africa’s Emerging Chocolate EntrepreneursThe chocolate industry is deliciously lucrative. We are talking about a global revenue of 100 billion dollars each year! The appetite for chocolate keeps growing especially in emerging countries. This is great news for chocolate manufacturers. Leading the pack are USA, Switzerland, Belgium, Mexico and Germany – the top 5 chocolate…
Hello,
I’m the Afrooptmist (Nana)
Welcome to my Blog, my cozy corner of the internet dedicated to all things African including: Diaspora, Travel, Parenting, Career, Fun, Lifestyle, Politics, Personal and Social development. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of Afro-optimism and navigating a complex world as an African. Let’s talk about it!
Let’s connect
Join the fun!
Stay updated by joining our newsletter.
The Afro Optimist 