ExodusMagMay2020

B U S I N E S S
WHY AM I, AN
AFRICAN, DRINKING
CHINESE TEA?
By Owen Ngandu
I have always been intrigued as to why Africa and black
people in general, seem to be looked down upon by the
rest of the world; and try to answer this question
without including politics, although some of our
leaders leave a lot to be desired. Are those the best
leaders our communities can produce really? But
anyway like I said, I will stay away from politics.
In as much as our political 'leadership', historical
injustices and external influences are to blame for
Africa's under development, or rather slow
development, we should also try and look at what we
as the citizens are doing and how we are contributing
towards the development we wish to see. It's okay
to recognise and point out areas where everyone else
has failed us, but are we seeing our own failures.
Are we also not standing in our own way to some
extent and contributing to the collective obstacles and
hindrances to development? I hear a lot of my friends
and peers shout out about 'the struggle', but are we
sure which struggle we are in now and if so, are we
fully equipped for it?
Enough of the philosophy, I will jump right into it. I am
a great believer in Africa as an ecosystem. I believe
and advocate for the advancement and inclusion of
African indigenous knowledge systems, ideas,
concepts and products into the modern day living.
There is evidence up to today that Africans as a people
have lived and survived on these knowledge systems
and products. I also believe that when God created the
heavens and earth and everything in it, the natural
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