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Giant_and_Dwarf-FIN

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Low Hanging Fruit. Central Europe <strong>and</strong> Development Aid for AfricaAtheism, Sexuality <strong>and</strong> Homosexuality, or CultureWars <strong>and</strong> DifferencesMwanza—“the fastest growing city south of the equator”. Perch, Tilapia <strong>and</strong> evolutionthe problem of a lack of education in the natural sciences viruses <strong>and</strong> bacteriamay evolve but not people! Watch out for public displays of affection. “Adam <strong>and</strong> Eve,not Adam <strong>and</strong> Steve”—the human rights of homosexuals <strong>and</strong> development aid.By any chance have you seen the French <strong>and</strong> Austrian co-produced documentary filmfrom 2004 named Darwin’s Nightmare? If you have the images from the city of Mwanza<strong>and</strong> its region are almost certainly permanently burned into your memory.If not, you should know that Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania, in a deepcove on the southern shores of Lake Victoria at an elevation of around 1,200 metres.Currently it is home to more than a half million inhabitants. Even more intriguing, <strong>and</strong> oneof Africa’s many mysteries, is that an exact <strong>and</strong> precise count of its population is missingfor Tanzania, much the same as for many other African countries. In any case, Mwanza’sinhabitants proudly declare that it’s “the fastest growing African city south of the equator”.Whether that is true or simply a slogan thought up to boost confidence is another question.The migration of people from rural areas to the cities is a general phenomenon in Africa<strong>and</strong> so it is hard to have any doubts about the quick pace of Mwanza’s growth. Justified <strong>and</strong>serious doubts can be raised as to if the uncontrolled growth of Mwanza, or any other largecity in Africa or elsewhere in the world, is something to take pride in. Shouldn’t it be morereason to give pause? Of course, people need something to be proud of, which is why wegrant this to the people of Mwanza.I first visited Mwanza two years after Darwin’s Nightmare was filmed but I wasn’t awareof the film at that time. I saw the city through the eyes of most mzungu, 199 who come to thecity as tourists or for a short working visit, which was my case. I did not see the city where199 Mzungu is the Swahili word for white people.223

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