Africa 3.0: What’s all this connectivity good for?

There’s been a dearth of posts on this site, not because there’s nothing to write about, rather we’ve been consumed with growing pains behind the scenes. That’s always a good thing but doesn’t excuse a …

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Read the full story »
Art & Entertainment

articles on the art and culture of the African Diaspora

Diaspora at work

Highlighting the lives and accomplishments of Africa’s Diaspora community.

events & conferences

on-going coverage and promotion of events and conferences of interest to the African Diaspora

Featured Items

Feature articles from and about the Project Diaspora community.

Headline

Lead articles on Project Diaspora

Home » Archive by Category

Articles in Diaspora at work

women of kireka partner site launched!

More information on the Women of Kireka, bead purchases, internship opportunities and quarry visits can be found on Siena Anstis’s website. We’re thinking proxy websites spreading like Western Union across Kampala’s downtown core. Ah, if …

writing for the first drop

Canadian Diaspora members, get to it!

From The First Drop:

The First Drop wants to provoke passionate, informed and accountable discussion among Canada’s next generation of leadership. We plan to do this by supporting a slate of …

A conversation with Ida Horner, founder of Ethnic Supplies A conversation with Ida Horner, founder of Ethnic Supplies

Back in the summer of 2009, (Man! How time flies!) I had a chance to chat with Ida Horner via Skype for the first time after being virtually introduced via Twitter & Facebook. Ida is …

Diaspora at Work: Horner, Kayongo engage Women of Kireka Diaspora at Work: Horner, Kayongo engage Women of Kireka

This week finds me in Kampala, Uganda for the 3rd annual Diaspora Home is Best Summit. It’s been a gathering of some of the most visible Ugandan Diaspora in the West. Among them is my …

Diaspora at Work: African Repatriation website making it easier to be reaspora Diaspora at Work: African Repatriation website making it easier to be reaspora

Living in Nairobi, Kenya these last few weeks has given me an opportunity to meet with hordes of freshly returned diasporans who made the decision to move back home from their various locales around the …

Diaspora at Work: ‘Made in Africa’ promotes wealth, self sufficiency in Africa

Embedded video from CNN Video
As previously mentioned, team PD is packing up shop and heading to dreary London to brighten things up at Africa Gathering this weekend. We are planning on meeting up with these …

Three reasons Africa’s diaspora isn’t more involved in Africa’s development

There are three major reasons why we are not engaged in development projects beyond mere remittances. By “mere” I don’t mean to belittle the estimated $40 billion in annual remittances we send to Africa. Only to say that $40 billion dollars can have a far greater effect on development, if it were structured differently. I am sure if you are inclined, you can contribute a litany of reasons why we aren’t, as a collective force, a lot more engaged on the ground. These three reasons, I believe are the major obstacles why the diaspora isn’t more involved in greater numbers and on bigger projects beyond remittances and personal wealth accumulation.

Diaspora at Work: Naijaborn.com co-founder Francis O. Oghuma Diaspora at Work: Naijaborn.com co-founder Francis O. Oghuma

A couple of weeks ago, I was I had an email correspondence with Francis O. Oghuma, one enterprising Nigerian, and co-founder of Naijaborn, a social network dedicated to the vibrant Nigerian diaspora community. He recently …

Teaming with Samasource Puts Africa’s Rising Digiratti to work Teaming with Samasource Puts Africa’s Rising Digiratti to work

This morning I had an opportunity to be featured on The Hugh Macken Live radio show. Actually should I say, Leila Charayath Janar—who I interviewed last year at the Facebook Developer’s Garage in Uganda, was …

On the African Diaspora and Cloud Intelligence [ updated ]

Diaspora and the Cloud – Cloud Intelligence Symposium at Ars Electronica from TMS Ruge on Vimeo.
No longer is Africa’s rich cultural heritage, development and identity championed and hijacked by those from outside and treated as …

Diaspora at Work: Mariéme Jamme’s mission to rebrand Africa
Sunday, 19 Jul, 2009 – 20:46 | Comments Off
Diaspora at Work: Mariéme Jamme’s mission to rebrand Africa

Although she left Senegal at the tender age of 2, Mariémme managed to retain that African connection and has responded to her heart string’s call to come back to Senegal and neighboring countries to share her knowledge by training generations of young men and women to be entrepreneurs.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Africa Mentor Network Inc. Launches Speed Networking Event for African Youth
Monday, 6 Jul, 2009 – 20:42 | Comments Off

Esi Yankah, CEO of The Africa Mentor Network, Inc. contacted PD with information on an upcoming networking event for Ghana’s enterprising youth to be held this August. The event will offer selected youth a chance …

Survey: Development Economics Research Group of World Bank conducting study on role of Africans in the Diaspora
Saturday, 2 May, 2009 – 8:52 | Comments Off

We just got wind that The Development Economics Research Group of the World Bank is conducting a study on the role of Africans in the Diaspora. For those that would like to participate in the …

Diaspora at Work: Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo makes her case against aid to Africa

8-year Goldman Sachs veteran, Dambisa Moyo is currently hitting the US media circuit to promote her hotly-debated new book, “Dead Aid.” I am waiting to delve into this book as soon as it arrives to …

Educate a Child and You Educate a Nation Educate a Child and You Educate a Nation

One man’s attempt to change
If you educate a child in an African village you have educated the whole village. This was very true for me and I am sure many others as we were …

Thanks to everyone who donated to the Women of Kireka project
Friday, 27 Feb, 2009 – 20:15 | Comments Off
Thanks to everyone who donated to the Women of Kireka project

WE HEART SOCIAL MEDIA
Thanks to the generosity and enthusiastic support of all our Twitter supporters, family and friends, Women of Kireka quickly tipped their $1,000 fund-raising campaign at The Point in less than 18 days. As Siena …

International Development: lessons learned from ‘Women of Kireka’ project International Development: lessons learned from ‘Women of Kireka’ project

My encounter with Amos last December offered me an opportunity to take a critical look at how development projects affect communities. I discovered that there’s always going to be someone left out in the cold, …

Walking in their shoes: PD meets up with Amos, deep in the quarry

Edit [Jan. 24, 2009 9:30am ]: At the time of this post, $1 equals 1,950 Uganda shillings. Amos’ math isn’t all that accurate in regards to calculating how much he earns per day. As you …

Project Diaspora Visits the Women of Kireka Project Diaspora Visits the Women of Kireka

While in Uganda for Christmas, I visited the Kireka stone quarry. This is where the women who will be part of our tailoring program work seven days a week. The quarry sits about a mile …

Diaspora at Work: Malawian Amon Nyirenda sets sail Diaspora at Work: Malawian Amon Nyirenda sets sail

Although based in Malawi, we’ll still count Amon among Africa’s Diaspora that’s bringing home not only foreign reserves, but foreign know-how in regards to the various Diaspora-funded investments. Amon started working for Malawi Hotels and got a chance opportunity to work on a cruise ship back in 2000.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why I blog about Africa Why I blog about Africa

I blog about Africa because I believe that the dawn of our day in the African sun has begun. I cannot hasten the sunrise alone or brighten the rays. But I blog about Africa, so that I am among those early risers who’ve heard the morning drum. I join this chorus of voices to welcome a new era, and new optimism. I may be one man with a song, but together we are a chorus with an anthem!

Diaspora at Work: Juliana Rotich lends her Global Voice to Ushahidi Diaspora at Work: Juliana Rotich lends her Global Voice to Ushahidi

Jiliana added, “we came together. Ory, David, and I were in Kenya at various times [during the crisis]. In the early days it was the three of us who were in Kenya…the programming and the setup was done by the guys overseas. What we did was enter content, and blogged on our own blogs and told other people about the [Ushahidi] platform.”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Why Remittances Matter.
Tuesday, 25 Nov, 2008 – 22:02 | Comments Off
Why Remittances Matter.

With all our focus on the international African Diaspora and the power of the monies that are sent back to help family and friends we often overlook the local heros. The Guardian covered the story …

Diasporans part of CNN Top 10 Hero’s of 2008!
Saturday, 25 Oct, 2008 – 12:42 | Comments Off
Diasporans part of CNN Top 10 Hero’s of 2008!

Congratulations to all the members of the top 10! The work done by all these amazing people is inspirational and truly a model for all us that want to make a difference in the …