Niger River

[Odysseus’ boat]. A giant wave washed the ship stern foremost back to shore” (Cyclops 395-399). Even though Odysseus was relieved to continue his voyage, his major flaw includes letting pride hinder him. Odysseus already has physical obstacles to overcome, but he keeps letting his pride continue to slow him down. So, even though Odysseus was compelled to continue the journey by the thought of seeing his kingdom and family, Odysseus was still human and let petty things like pride get in his way of getting home. If it takes the thought of getting home to motivate a supposedly fictional character, what does it take to motivate a human to embark on a dangerous journey? Kira Salak was the first woman to row an inflatable kayak down the Niger River for 600 miles to Timbuktu. But, obviously, the journey did not come without mental and physical hindrances. So, what was her motive to go on this journey in the first place? She was persuaded to do this after researching the same journey taken by Scottish explorer Mungo Park in the 19th century. ¨And it´s all the guarantee I have for this trip- that an obsessed 19th century adventurer did what I would like to do” (Salak 39-41). Besides completing a journey someone from the 19th century conquered, Kira wanted to be the first woman to complete Mungo Park’s journey as well. Completing such a hazardous journey and being a woman to do it was unheard of. ¨To his [Kira’s guide] knowledge, no man has ever completed such a trip. And certainly…

to her very breaking point. This is evidenced in the following sentences from “The Cruelest Journey,” “Here is the Niger, and I want to paddle it.” But I’m not that kind of traveler, and this isn’t that kind of trip. If a journey doesn’t have something to teach you about yourself, then what kind of journey is it?” This again proves the point that she did this to test her limits to her very breaking point and not because she just wanted to risk for life for nothing in particular. As for how Salak…

pottery, paper, and gunpowder. These were all invented by China and a lot of people wanted it especially Romans. Moreover, India traded goods such as, spices. Slaves, metals and weapons, ivory, pearls, and precious gems. Then there was the Byzantine Empire Empire. This was known as the “gateway to Europe” because it is the end of the Silk Road in Constantinople. They traded wine, grapes, woven goods, glassware, timber from the Black Sea region, art, fur, and animal hides. On the contrary,…

the Djenne city on the Niger River valley to North Africa. Almoravid group who later was assumed by the Mandinka Empire has destroyed the Soninke kingdom. Mandinka Empire established a trade route that went back east through Djenne and Timbuktu between the 13th and 15th century. In the 15th century the kingdom of Songhai has asserted its independence to the east, allowing Djenne and Timbuktu to rise…

Paul’s team also found fish bones and turtle shells, which is surprising because they are in the middle of the world’s largest desert. They also found bones of hippos, which are animals that live near water. Scientist believe that 12,000 years ago the Sahara desert was a green Sahara. They say that the earth’s orbit was closer to the sun, which caused warmer conditions that produced more moisture to the area. The green Sahara had lakes, rivers and grasslands. This type of environment would be…

externalities of mining: policy recommendations. In the words of Joseph Stiglitz, “corporations are in the business of making money, not providing charity.” Since corporations are in business to maximize profit, they hold themselves accountable to their stockholders rather than to the stakeholders where such businesses are located. The desire to minimize cost while maximizing profit weakens the implementation of the Corporate Social Responsibility. The Corporate Social Responsibility is not…

As a result of the downfall of the Gadhafi regime in Libyan, a large number of Tuareg soldiers who served in Gaddafi’s military returned to Mali. These Tuaregs were well-trained, well-armed and would go on to from the MNLA. The MNLA is only the most recent iteration of Tuareg militancy with Tuareg rebellions occurring in Niger and Algeria as well as Mali. There have been two other major Tuareg rebellions in Mali in 1990 and 2007. The Tuaregs are nomadic people and as a result are well suited to…

The Sahelian region comprises of countries such as Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Eritrea, Mauritania, Chad and Niger. Natural disasters such as floods and drought, animal diseases have been more frequent in West Africa (Barnabas, Jager, & Feher 2008). People living in this region have been suffering a lot. These disasters tend to bring about poverty, food insecurity, child malnutrition, conflicts, lack of basic services, poor governance and political instability, and weak economies dependent on…

Background In Ghana—like it neighbors—mechanisms such as ethnic tensions, religious, political, and social problems persist. Despite these challenges, Ghana’s post-independence era evolved peacefully without a civil war or large scale conflict. In the past three decades, Ghana develops the enhanced capability to manage conflicting and competing social interests, allowing the country to pursue a peaceful economic development trajectory and a deliberative political discourse. In spite of Ghana’s…

Here I go again writing about the most beautiful thing that I know, and the best thing that has ever happened to me, which is none other than my “CULTURE.” According to Google, “culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts”. I’m proud to be a part of such an amazing culture, but before I talk about it, I want to give credit to the country where this culture originated. I come…