West Africa was one of the regions of the world I was most excited to visit. I had my heart set on backpacking through Ghana, Togo and Benin, but I admittedly had very little frame of reference for what travel would be like in this part of the world. Americans are taught precious little African history in school; one third of Americans can’t even correctly locate the United States on a map, let alone can tell you much about African geography.
Well, my dream trip came to pass and after returning to New York from my journey across Accra, Lomé and Porto-Novo, I realized I had a few misconceptions about what (West) Africa would be like, and as I talked to others back home, more fallacies came out of the woodwork. Before I dive into my in-depth look at these three capital cities, I wanted to clear up some of these misconceptions and set the record straight.
Africa is NOT a Country
“Africa is a nation that suffers from terrible disease.” George W. Bush, former US President.
Yes, George W. Bush, known more for his boneheaded gaffes than sparkling intellect, once referred to Africa as a single country. This was the so-called leader of the free world, and he didn’t know the difference between a continent and a country?
As embarrassing as this statement is coming from our past president, I see many Americans make the same mistake in casual conversation. Africa is viewed as this monolith, full of people who look alike (not true), think alike (not true), speak the same language (not true) and lead similar lives, often in terrible poverty and daily misery (not true, not true, not true).
Africa is, in fact, a very diverse continent. Second in size only to Asia, Africa is comprised of 54 United-Nations-recognized sovereign entities (more than any other continent) and its diversity in the political arena is equally matched in its spheres of culture and nature as well. Over 2,000 different languages are spoken in Africa and there are an estimated 3,000 various cultural/ethnic groups that inhabit the political borders of the continent. Likewise, Africa is more than just the Sahara desert. There are also lush rainforests, snow-capped mountains and the grasslands of the savanna that stretch for miles.
In my experience, Americans have a keen distinction in their minds between the different nationalities in Europe. If you ask an American to envision a Norwegian, the mental picture (both in terms of physical features and personality) will be very distinct from that of a person born in Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Serbia or the UK. Similarly, an American would never confuse anyone from Japan with someone from India or the Middle East. And yet, if you ask an American to picture people from Guinea, Namibia, Eritrea, Chad and Tunisia, most people would struggle. Africans come in all skin tones, shapes and sizes. Algerians look as different from the Togolese as the Swedes do from Greeks. Africans are so underrepresented in our media, textbooks and daily life that they have congealed into a giant mass. Europeans are afforded the privilege of being seen as individuals; Africans are lumped together and their attributes are painted with broad brush strokes.
Africa is NOT a “shithole”
When current US President Donald Trump, who makes George W. Bush look like a Mensa candidate in comparison, labeled nations in both Central America and Africa as “shitholes,” I felt rage, embarrassment and a deep sadness for the state of our leadership. After those initial emotions subsided, I came to see how much ignorance still remains in America surrounding what life is like in Africa. This image that everyone is poor, starving, diseased, living in mud huts or in some slum just isn’t true. Yes, there are places in Africa where extreme poverty is a reality for millions of people, but there is also a rapidly growing middle class all across Africa. Just because Trump is still living in a Sally-Struthers-Save-the-Children fantasy (we’ll get to that shortly), doesn’t mean it’s reality.
There are over 50 urban areas in Africa with over one million residents. I only can vouch for the three countries I visited, but these cities are extremely vibrant, full of interesting architecture, art, street markets, restaurants and museums. I can’t even believe this needs to be said, but yes there’s internet and WiFi in Africa; everyone has a smartphone and will text/WhatsApp with you to your heart’s content. This image Americans have of Africa as the backwater of the world really needs to be put to rest.
Travel in Africa is NOT just safaris and pyramids
Africa is a hell of a lot more than safaris in South Africa and Kenya or visiting the pyramids in Egypt. There’s this notion, perhaps from watching National Geographic specials or too many repeat viewings of The Lion King, that Africa is overrun with lions, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, hippos and singing warthogs and meerkats. We’ve also seen enough James Bond and Indiana Jones-types chasing after Pharaoh’s treasure (The Mummy franchise, anyone?) that the pyramids land on enough Americans’ bucket lists, but there is so, so much more to Africa than highland gorillas and The Sphinx.
There are 93 UNESCO sites on the African continent and, much to my delight, there is a backpacking circuit complete with hostels and camp sites shared by other like-minded travelers. You won’t find the Independence Arch of Black Star Square in too many guidebooks, but there’s a rich history waiting to be explored and eager locals ready to share it with you. The Foundation Zinsou in Benin is a world-class contemporary art museum (actually two; one branch in Cotonou and a second in Ouidah), that should be spoken about in the same breath as other art institutions in North America and Europe, but because it sits in West Africa, it is unjustly ignored by potential tourists seeking a cultural getaway. I could go on and on (and I will), but just because these historical and cultural attractions take a little extra work to find doesn’t mean they don’t exist at all.
Africans do NOT need “saving”
A common toxic sentiment amongst perhaps well-meaning people is that Africans need saving. These people not only believe that there is something broken in Africa, but that they will also be the ones who will act as saviors, swooping in to fix everything and beam with faux-humble pride as the African people will forever be eternally grateful for their deliverance from their afflictions. (Barf.)
For centuries, missionaries have come to Africa attempting to convert the masses. Local religions and beliefs were seen as inferior and when acts of a seemingly selfless nature like building houses or passing out food were done, there were always strings attached. Take this rice and bread, but stay for the sermon too. Local voodoo practices in Togo and Benin are just as valid and important as those of Christianity, Islam or any other religion.
Likewise, secular volunteer tourism attracts a large crowd each year to Africa. NGOs pop up all over the continent and while there is no doubt that some organizations like The Peace Corps do good work, there is still a underlying notion that not only are you broken, but that we know how to fix your problems better than you do. We know what you need, even if you don’t. Not only is this arrogant, but let’s not for a second think that there isn’t a strong undercurrent of racism at play here too.
My advice? Come visit Africa on its own terms. See the rich culture that exists, meet the extraordinary people and learn their histories. Africa is not less than. In fact, it is more than. Whatever expectations you have, I guarantee that you’re aiming too low. Americans often think they are the role models the world needs to follow, but the friends I made in Africa- Igor, Edem, Robert, Richmond, Cousin- they are the ones who teach me humility, grace and kindness everyday. They are the teachers, not me. I didn’t go to Africa to save anyone, but my spirit was the one that ended up being rejuvenated and restored upon my voyage.
So, where do all these garbage stereotypes about Africa come from?
This TV infomercial from 1996 features actress Sally Struthers begging us to “save the children” by making monthly donations to one of several charities she represented. Struthers’ overwrought delivery is campy and ripe for satire, but the effects this ad had on the American public is anything but a laughing matter. Years later, producers for this commercial admitted that they used stock footage of children from all over Africa to create this ad, pieced together from news reels and other sources. Their mantra was “flies in the eyes” brings in the big bucks. (And it worked; Save the Children raised over 100 million dollars in 1996.)
This is the first image of Africa that came to mind for many Americans in the 1990s, and decades later it has not been forgotten. As Struthers so eloquently mentions, there’s sewage flowing down the streets where people live and all Africans appear to be poor, starving and lacking in proper medical care. It’s not like hunger and easy access to medicine aren’t real problems in parts of Africa, but the way this was presented in such manipulative and grotesque terms allowed for the seeds of these stereotypes to be planted in the psyche of the American people, seeds that have proven difficult to uproot.
Of course, the modern American media doesn’t help much either. The rare times we see Africa featured in the news is because of terrorism, violence or a kidnapping. Negative images of Africa are constantly being placed in front of the American people. Whereas Europe is allowed to appear regal and beautiful and Asia comes off as technologically advanced, Africa will forever be symbolized by that skinny child with a distended belly and flies in his eyes.
How do these stereotypes affect travel in Africa?
As a result of these stereotypes and harmful images that are promoted throughout the western world, some Africans, especially those in poorer areas, can be a little camera shy. While it is true that the people I met in West Africa were some of the friendliest and easiest to get to know, when you pull out a camera the mood can sometimes change.
A fellow backpacker told me in Accra that he had taken out his camera in Jamestown, a lower-income neighborhood in the Ghanaian capital, and a woman angrily accosted him: Are you taking photos to show everyone back home how poor we are? We are not subjects for you to place in National Geographic or garner glory for yourself by winning a Pulitzer Prize while everyone sighs and pities us.
I myself was taken to task when I took a photo of some street art on the side of a crumbling building. A man stopped his car, got out and confronted me. “Why did you take that photo?” he asked. “I like this mural,” I replied, rather surprised by his reaction. “Oh,” he said, “apologies, but I thought you were trying to show your friends that Africa is rundown and falling apart.”
The greatest tip I can give a first-traveler in (West) Africa is to be very respectful when taking photos. Always ask permission first, and if the answer is “no” then accept that. Westerners have come to Africa for decades with their cameras and video recorders and used them to propagate Trump’s false claims that Africa is a “shithole” full of dirty, lazy, poor people. Even if your intentions are innocent, you are a guest and the peoples’ right to feel comfortable is always greater than your need to take a photo. The effects of these stereotypes have very real consequences on both macro- and microlevels.
If the media won’t help change Africa’s image, then it is up to the travelers who venture here to expose the real Africa to the world. A major component of travel is breaking down the harmful stereotypes we encounter, and I see Africa’s mistreatment on the world travel stage as something I have a moral duty to speak out against. Ghana, Togo and Benin are full of some of the kindest people I met on my travels, a few of whom I now count as life-long friends, and I hope my upcoming posts on Accra, Lomé and Porto-Novo will help contribute to providing a more truthful image of Africa and do my friends proud.
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