Glo, Author at 1Africa | Page 22 of 27

About My African hair Pt 1 – Myths

Culture

Glo

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April 9, 2015

Hair isn’t just a big thing for a woman, it’s one of the major factors in making a woman achieve her perfect look! And in a world where more emphasis is placed on appearances rather than personality or even attitude, every woman is willing to do all in her power and within her means to have that amazing look from head to toe! With the fast growing industry of synthetic hair, women now have a variety of styles to choose from: keep their hair natural, have it straightened through the use of chemical treatments, add weaves, wigs, braids etc.

The media has set straight and silky hair to be the benchmark for beautiful hair. The silkier hair looks, the prettier a woman is. And many African girls have been caught up in wrong advice and myths about the nature and beauty of their ethnic hair.

We are embarking on a three part series in which I will share some advice on how to take care of your hair but in order to learn something new, it’s best to first unlearn the wrong beliefs and ways of doing things. I will begin this series of posts by demystifying some very popular myths about African hair :

Myth 1: Black Hair doesn’t grow

Black hair in its natural state has a tendency to shrink up, preventing you from seeing its real length, leading to the popular belief that it doesn’t grow long. While everyone has a predetermined hair length that’s due to genetics, with proper care, you can grow your hair as long as it is destined to be and you don’t need a relaxer or perm to do so! A relaxer straightens your curls so that you can see length more easily, but the chemicals in it do not promote hair growth.

Myth 2: Washing hair frequently will cause it to break

Washing hair with shampoos that has added chemicals (sulphates) can cause hair dryness. So these must be avoided, however, black hair loves water; not washing the hair can cause the sebum (the scalp’s natural oils) to be blocked. This in turn will make the hair dry and brittle. Things that damage black hair include bleaching, colouring, styling and excess heat. Washing hair twice or three times per week will not damage hair.

Myth 3: Relaxing hair make it grow faster

Natural hair has a curly pattern, when the hair is stretched it may seem to appear longer, but in fact it is not. This is what happens when hair is relaxed as well. The hair is stretched out to its maximum, like stretching a rubber band. However, this leads to reduces elasticity, which is the hair’s natural ability to go back to its original shape without breaking. Hair that lacks elasticity is very susceptible to breakage.

Myth 4: Black hair is the strongest type of hair

Unfortunately no, black hair is actually the weakest of all hair types. Black hair has a fragile internal structure which makes it more susceptible to breakage due to the dry nature of the follicle.

I hope that these few points have successfully shed some light on the true nature of African hair and have set the stage for part 2 of these series coming up next week, in which I will share some exciting info on how to care for your hair; what to do and what to avoid doing.

Until then, keep loving your hair!

Credit of portions of this post to:

http://www.hairfinity.com/

http://www.blackhairkitchen.com/

http://blackhair.about.com/

http://www.bustle.com/

Big Up Africa: Tidjane Thiam

Culture

Glo

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April 5, 2015

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Truly, perspective is everything! Big Up Africa is a feature in which we choose to look at our African continent only through positive and hopeful lenses; celebrating courageous, innovative people from Africa and highlighting their inspiring stories. And since the launch of this feature many months ago, we are not short of achievements to celebrate!

Today’s story is best told in the words of Zimbabwe’s richest man, telecomms mogul and philanthropist, Strive Masiyiwa (do yourself a favour and visit his Facebook page):

“Last week, one of the oldest and largest banks in the world; Credit Suisse, named Tidjane Thiam, an African from Ivory Coast, as its new CEO. It made headlines around the world. It was easily the biggest news of the corporate world last week. Even before his appointment to this role, Tidjane was the first and only African to head up, a company in the top 100 of the companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Now he has been appointed to an even bigger position.

Tidjane is a remarkable player; he is to the corporate world what Didier Drogba, or Samuel Et’o was to soccer. Being an Arsenal supporter he would no doubt want me to include Thiery Henry!”

For the past three decades, Thiam has occupied positions of a Minister in his home country, a World Bank executive in the US, a consultant at Mckinsey in Paris and lately, an nsurance man at Aviva , then Prudential Plc in London – Thiam is a rare brain, a truly exceptional individual.

“Africa, has a lot of entrepreneurs, who can start businesses, but we have a big shortage of more Tidjane Thiam’s. Let’s celebrate his achievement, and let it inspire the next generation of African professionals… Yes we can!”

Our hope here at 1Africa, is that stories of success like Thiam’s one, will become source of inspiration to many young Africans who thought it impossible to achieve their dreams.

Special thanks to Strive Masiyiwa.

If You Love Me…

Faith

Glo

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March 30, 2015

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Moms and Dads, what is the greatest proof of your children’s love for you? Is it when they say they love you? That’s great, but does it prove they love you? No. The real proof of their love is when they willingly obey you. Many people miss this truth.The same holds true when it comes to loving God. Many say they love God, maybe even go to church regularly, but there isn’t much evidence of obedience to God’s rules in their lives – which, of course, is the real evidence of our love.Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The proof of our love is our willingness to obey God and His commands. Doesn’t it make you feel great when your child willingly obeys you? It gives you joy because you feel maybe they “got it.” Why don’t you give God the same joy? Obey Him because it’s your desire to do so. Love Him like you want to be loved by your own children.

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” – John 15:10

Content courtesy of www.rightfromtheheart.org

When Things Don’t Go According To Plan

Lifestyle

Glo

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March 27, 2015

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One of the many great things about Africans is that we love & value family. It’s so much so that for many of us, family goes beyond the setup of a married couple with their kids. I’m sure a number of us can recall referring to cousins, nephews & sometimes childhood friends simply as ‘brothers’ or ‘sisters’ and even considering them as members of our immediate family. It is for this reason that when you’re a young adult lady, so much emphasis is placed on anticipating the day of your betrothal & all the aunties will begin to pop up the “Is there someone” question; and, if you’re newlyweds, everyone is anticipating the “we’re expecting” news. While this is an absolutely lovely aspect of life, truth is things don’t always happen this way for everyone.
I have highlighted the family side of things but expectations come to us across all areas of life. Those in business are working towards an increase in profits; at work, we anticipate promotions etc. But I find that the biggest frustrations in life happen when we have given something our very best, our all, we have done everything ‘right’, conducted ourselves in decent & responsible ways, laid plans, worked hard and yet reap very disappointing results. I’m sure someone out there would relate to a situation where they worked hard, did more than what was expected of them in the workplace to only be greeted one morning by the shocking news that the position they were so suitable for was given to someone else perhaps less competent than them.

Often, our childhood dreams, wishes and expectations get severely challenged by the many harsh realities of life, and when life takes a totally different direction than that which we envisioned, we begin to realize that very little is predictable in this life. These disappointments, if we’re not too careful, can lead us to living a life of total despair. Unable to bear this despair, some have gone as far as committing suicide.

Each of us has a story to tell of a bad season we’ve been through or are going through right now. But here at 1Africa, one powerful thing that keeps us going is that we trust that after all is said and done, we will have plenty to rejoice about. You may want to ask why trust, when years of hard work, discipline, commitment got you nowhere thus far? The trust we are talking about is based on and sustained by the nature and the solid character of the One in whom we trust. He is the God who says He knows the plans He has formed for you, they are plans to give you hope and a future. Because He has proven to be faithful to His word, we trust there’s a future for you. Yes failure isn’t easy to deal with but what you lost or don’t have isn’t all there is to life. The choice to mourn about what isn’t going right or believe that you have a future is yours. We’d love to see you embrace the life that God has for you and do so in relationship with him. If you’d like to find out more about how you can take the first step, please click on the banner below and watch the short video that follows.

Is It Wrong To Envy Others?

Glo

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March 26, 2015

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There’s a French saying which, when translated to English, reads: “At a Chinese restaurant, the neighbour’s plate always seems to be the best”. Isn’t that the story of life? The grass always seems greener on the other side, we think! If I’m to be brutally honest, I’ll admit to having peeped at my friends’ lives at some point and thought to myself that things are going better for them; they’ve moved forward in life; I’m left behind; life is passing me by.

Times are difficult all over the world. To quote a colleague of mine: “The reality is that we live in trying times and many of us feel pressed from all sides. The average young person in Africa struggles to make real sense of life and, because the socio-economic climate on our continent is challenging, it’s not always easy to get by.” Though this is the reality of our times, there are those around us who are flourishing in a major way. And the temptation is to ask: “why them and not me”?

Sometimes, being overwhelmed by our difficulties and trying to make sense of life is what leads us to begin to look around and see if life is as tough for everyone as it is for us. And in doing that, we envy! But you also meet those for whom envy is a way of life. It doesn’t matter what they’ve got, it’s not enough, for them – that neighbour on the right is and has everything they want in this life but don’t have. They’ve got the perfect family, the most adorable kids – everything is stunning! The grass could appear greener from a distance, but is it always that green when we’re up close? I don’t know!

Coming to our question: Is it wrong to envy others? Rather than answering this question, I’ll shed some light on what envy does and let you decide for yourself if envy is wrong or not:

Envy makes you feel inferior to others. It not only devalues you but it devalues others too. It destroys relationships.
It makes you feel miserable, bitter and unappreciative of the good things you have and could enjoy about your own life. It also causes you to miss out on sharing in the joy of celebrating the progress of others.
Envy is a thief of time and energy. The time spent looking at what others have or don’t have, what they’re up and how things are working for them is time and energy you could invest in your own life, focusing on how you can work and improve your life.

I need to say though, that having envied someone or being jealous of someone’s progress doesn’t make you a bad person. Even the wisest and most admirable person you know, made wrong choices and mistakes at some point through their journey to become who they are today. That is life! No one gets things right instantly. Sometimes we even find ourselves doing things we never wished to do. This doesn’t define who we are. Here at 1Africa we strongly believe that we each were made for a unique purpose. We also believe that God who made us, longs for each of us to live a healthy life and to thrive in all areas of our lives. Look at it this way, He is a Father! His heart beats for you, just like any father’s heart will beat to see his/her child confident in who they are and moving forward in life. Your reality may not match this truth but it can and it will. Consider letting God into your life and, once you find your identity in Him, you will not have to envy anyone. He will lead you to discover the many treasures He placed within you and help you to be content in all circumstances. There’s a banner below which, if you click on it, will lead you to a video where we share more about God and how you can begin a relationship with Him.

How did I get Here?

Glo

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March 19, 2015

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I have been around long enough to know that as you grow, the things you worry about or get concerned with the most change.
I’m not 57, please don’t get me wrong. I still qualify to be called a youth, but perhaps one with an ounce of experience in life to know that life does not always follow your plans & wishes.

I remember well, not too long ago sitting alone in my room and asking myself: Where Am I? How did I get here? So many bizarre events took place and I felt like I began losing my sense of direction and the one thing that keeps us all alive which is HOPE. No, I can lose everything but not that! How do I live without hope?

Asking myself ‘where am I’ came from a place of feeling like my many efforts to make something of my life yielded no results. I desperately wanted to see forward movement in my life but I didn’t. So I began wondering restlessly what the next step should be. “Should I take up studies, should I concentrate on my career or what? If I had done this 3 years ago, I’m sure things would look different today”, I thought to myself. This is just a snippet of the kind of madness that goes through one’s mind when they’re restless. I felt totally lost on this beautiful earth & wondered if there was even a place for me here. The only thing I cried for was peace. As the old saying goes: “nothing is new under the sun”. I do not believe for a moment that I’m the only person to have experienced this tumult in my soul. Everything we go through is for a purpose, I believe. I can’t say I’ve now figured it all out hence I’m writing this article. Life being a journey, or an adventure as some would chose to describe it, there’s a lot I’m yet to experience. But having been through a difficult patch and still be able to face life today makes me want to tell you, who may be feeling you’ve lost your way, or that your life compass can’t provide you direction anymore that you can find peace to begin with. Any move made in desperation only leads to more headaches. See, this peace won’t come from all your problems being fixed but it is one that keeps you composed even in the midst of challenges. I would like to introduce you to a God who provides such peace, and when His peace reassures you that you can still make it in life, He Himself will start directing you. He can become your ‘life compass’ if you allow Him. And by the way, He never loses direction. This is no fairy-tale, God is real. Would you like to know more on this? Click on the banner below and the video you will watch will lead you on a journey to finding your real purpose in life.

The Love That Will Not Let You Go

Faith

Glo

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March 16, 2015

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I recently read an article about a couple who just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. People rarely live long enough or, sadly, love long enough to be able to have an article written about the length of their love.

This couple’s love story was highlighted and circulated and praised and admired.

Because seventy-five years is a long time to love the same person day after day. But here’s a more striking truth: God has loved you for well over six thousand years. Before you were born or even thought of by anybody other than Himself, He loved you. Before He set stars in motion and before He established the mountains, His love designed a way to win your heart and draw you to Himself.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

Your God has loved you longer than the mind can comprehend, deeper than anyone has ever loved you, and with more loyalty than the love you have for the person you love the most. His love defies time. It started more than six thousand years ago, proved itself on the Cross more than two thousand years ago, has continued to this very day, and will have only just begun the day we enter the eternity waiting for us.

If His love was anything less than tenacious and loyal, He would have tired of you and me long ago.

His love holds on, never stops, never tires, and never gives up. His love will never let you go.

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”(1 John 4:19)

If you would like to know more about this incredible love and see it come alive in your own life, please click on the banner below and watch the video that follows. We’d love to hear from you!

Devotional content courtesy of www.thoughts-about-god.com

Does God really exist?

Faith

Glo

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March 2, 2015

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Yesterday, after having had a very hectic week, I took a moment to chill down and I thought to myself “A good movie would be just what I need in this moment”. But because I was low on stamina, instead of watching a full 1 hour movie, I decided to browse through one of my favourite movies, which takes its storyline from one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible – the story of Esther. Whether you believe in God or not, I strongly suggest that you take time to read the story of Esther if you haven’t already. Not only is it a great read, but it also inspires hope, saying that no matter how bad a situation is, when you have faith, you will surely find your way out.

What struck me about this story is simply this: When you read or watch the story of Esther, you see how without much drama or venting, the God in whom Esther and her people believed, masterminded events – from Esther making it to the palace as the new queen replacing Vashti who behaved inappropriately towards the King, to putting an end to a conspiracy in place, seeking to end the lives of all Jews living in Persia. How could things have worked so well in favour of the people Esther was representing in the palace? Was this all haphazard? I’m not sure what’s your take on this is but throughout this story, one can see the workings of someone greater and this “Someone” is none other than the Almighty God.

There are many scientific theories out there, many beliefs passed onto us by our parents, or beliefs we adopted ourselves; we have countless experiences we may have been through and all these things summed up together, tell us there is no God! And that our being here on earth is nothing but the result of a cosmic Big-Bang. When I found myself in my most confused state, on the brink of starting to doubt God, this story I’ve just told you about is one that always reassures me that God exist. More than existing, He desires to be in our lives, to remain close to us and guide us in the plans He Himself has put in place for us to walk in. Our lives and every experiences in it are far from being products of randomness.

Truly:

“It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel 2:21

Do you have questions about God or His existence? Please click on the banner below or contact our care team on [email protected] so they can walk with you the journey of discovering who God is and the love He has for you.

Big Up Africa: Tiken Jah Fakoly

Glo

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February 20, 2015

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Doumbia Moussa Fakoly, best known in the music scene as Tiken Jah Fakoly, is one of the legends of reggae music in Ivory Coast and in Africa. Combining his captivating reggae beat with uncompromising lyrics, Fakoly became a spokesperson for the people of his generation, denouncing the many injustices done to the people of his country and Africans in general, as well as calling for a political, economic and cultural renaissance in Africa. When you listen to Tiken’s music carefully, you can feel his mastery in the art of reggae music.

An authentic entertainer, we give Tiken credit for his brilliant ability to win audiences over with his energy and charisma on the live scene. But the reggae star did not limit himself to putting his musical talents to good use. He became more than just an entertainer, he became an activist; using the music platform to speak for the oppressed. If you know Fakoly’s music, you would agree that his message has remained constant through the years: exposing the many injustices African people have been subjected to and inviting both African leaders and the people of Africa to spur change. His desire to speak – or should I say sing – to promote justice saw Tiken becoming a popular feature at music festivals both within and outside his own country – either using these platforms or the profits they bring to advance a good cause. You would think that after almost 3 decades of a very active music career he would slow down – he’s not about to! Last week-end, he was one of the main artists who offered their talents at the Amani Festival, in Goma, eastern DR Congo – to try and change the story of a country stalled by war and to give residents hope for peace. His heart for people vastly explains why Tiken Jah Fakoly is today a highly renowned artist throughout the world. Many Africans connect with his lyrics at a deeper level and are proud to call him their own.

In today’s edition of Big Up Africa, we are also proud to celebrate this legend of the African reggae music!

Below is the video of his song “Dernier Appel”, which is French for “Last Call”, and is also the title of his latest album. Enjoy!

Royalty without a crown

Faith

Glo

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February 16, 2015

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The humble King is an oxymoron unless you are talking about Christ. He was noble and self –effacing; powerful and gentle, authoritative and accepting, sovereign yet submitted, royal yet humble. Yep, this is our Man. We are called to imitate, model and project the ability to temper our influence with humility for God’s purposes in others. To do this we need to think humbly.

God’s dream for you looks like this: You have influence without ego—You are capable of retaliation but choose reconciliation—You pass up power to increase God’s influence—You submit to God’s plan versus presuming them—You freely notice others—You empty yourself instead of being self-entitled—You are willing to honor your efforts in His time.

Ask yourself: Do I see Jesus humbly and clearly—Do I want the character quality of Jesus in my own life—what sort of character do people sense when they are around me? Do I make things easier or harder for them by being humble?—Am I stand offish or easily embraced by others?

After you answer these questions with an honest assessment, take the first step of humility by submitting your life to Christ. That’s what Jesus-style humility looks like. That’s what it means to be humbly significant.

Courtesy of www.everymanministries.com

Glo

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