What a wonderful world
Picture the wonders of Africa and you tend to think of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Nile River and the wildebeest migration of the Serengeti. Google it — you’ll see nature takes centre stage. And perhaps rightly so; we live on a diverse continent with unrivalled natural beauty. Alongside the spectacular geography, fauna and flora are the wonders manifest among Africa’s people.
An estimated 1 500 to 2 000 languages are spoken in Africa by a vast number of ethnic cultures. Many of these cultures are ancient, yet they thrive alongside modern culture and are often intertwined.
Religions range from animism (the belief that all things have a soul) to Islam, and a large number of African cultures embrace multiple religions. It is part of Africa’s innovative collective soul. The wonder of Africa must surely be our diversity, yet there is one commonality: a determination of spirit.
No matter where I travel on the continent, be it the cold mountains of Uganda, the scorching Namib, or the cool waters of Malawi, the people I meet are so often inspiring, from the wisest elders to the youngest students. Especially the students. I’ve come away from small village schools having learnt more from the children than I’ve learnt from my own teachers. It’s not that they’ve taught me a crafty maths formula or the cool use of a conjunctive verb. They have taught me about determination. And that our world is full of wonder.