As I read the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, I became curious about the origins of the African names.  There are so many different language families throughout Africa, so that is why ethic origin and pronunciation are a major part of what is behind an African name.  North Africa is predominently Muslim, Central and South African nations speak Portuegese, French, and English, and have more European sounding names.  I find it interesting that names are often given surrounding the circumstances at the time of birth.  Things such as the day of the week in which they were born, the season, parents reactions, and desired characteristics they wish to bestow on the newborn. Also whether the name is masculine or feminine. The Language in which they are spoken is what makes the name sound so unique. In Things Fall Apart, it takes place in Nigeria, and with a particular clan or tribe called the Igbo. Some of the names and their meanings are Amara which means grace...Adanna which means father's daughter...Ekene means praise...Udo means peace.

As I surfed around today the headline that caught my attention had to do with the decline in the HIV/AIDS cases the countries in Africa.  Of the 33 million HIV/AIDS cases worldwide 22 million are in Africa!  For the first time since it was discovered in 1982 it is making declines.  That is very good news!  We are talking dramatic, like 73%  drop in new cases in Malawi, and even Swaziland(that holds the highest population of people with the disease in the WORLD) has seen a 37% decrease!  They seem to really getting a handle on it, and are optimistic that there will eventually be zero new cases among children being born with it.They are feeling for the first time ever that they are moving from despair to hope! It seems that all the hard work educating and investing money for the cause to eradicate the disease is finally showing some positive results.  Although there are several advocacy groups who claim that the fight is far from over, and worry that economic recession could take money away from funding the programs.  There are more than 5 million people on anti-retro viral treatment(ART) in Sub-Saharan Africa alone.

  ( http://www.theafricareport.com/north-africa/africas-surprising-hivaids-trend.html )

Timbuktu

From here toTimbuktu....I have heard that phrase many times throughout my life, and honestly thought it was a "made up" place like Utopia.  In reality it is a real place in the country of Mali on the continent of Africa. In the 14th century Timbuktu was a booming mecca for the salt trade. Where in the world is Timbuktu? On this map it is spelled Tombouctou(just another spelling variation).  It is located on the banks of the Niger River, and the Southern edge of the Sahara desert. 

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