Across Africa

I know that it has been ages since I wrote on this blog. I apologize and I promise I have a good reason, but that can wait. As I said before, I have biweekly assignments that I am writing as part of my mark so here is my first one of this semester to keep you occupied while I get back in the rhythm of writing.

From Canada, people often group the many different countries in the continent of Africa under the single banner of ‘Africa’. Imagine grouping together all the European countries with their various ethnic groups and naming them ‘France’. Then think about how many ethnic groups comprise Europe and multiply this number by fifty or even one hundred. Africa is comprised of thousands of different ethnic groups. For example, there are approximately sixty languages spoken in Burkina Faso and at least as many different tribes. If you move to any of the neighbouring countries, you will find a completely different composition of ethnicities. There may be some overlap of ethnic groups like the Mossi people of northern Burkina due to the arbitrary placement of country borders in colonial times. Nevertheless, there are still major differences in cultures, languages, histories, and traditions moving from one country to the next. And people in Canada are rarely able to even distinguish between countries.

Over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays I traveled to Senegal with my family. While there were many similarities to Burkina, I was continually struck by the differences. The same sentiment was expressed by Kevin and Jeannette on their return from Botswana and Ghana respectively. In Burkina motorbikes outnumber cars by a ratio of at least ten-to-one while in Senegal, Botswana, and Ghana there were very few motorbikes to be seen. ‘Fast food’ was another anomaly for each of us during our travels. Language was another difference that I observed in Senegal. While the majority of people living in Burkina’s cities are relatively fluent in France, communication with market vendors and taxi drivers in Dakar is a challenge without a working knowledge of Wolof, the local language.

In my opinion, one of the biggest contributors to these differences is the varying levels of Western influence that has been present in each of these countries. Burkina is a landlocked country with few natural resources and tourist attractions. Senegal and Ghana on the other hand contain fairly major ports which have been used for hundreds of years by different European countries. They are also major tourist destinations for European travelers as they are relatively easy to access and inexpensive. Botswana also draws foreign tourists and money with its game parks and the Okavango delta. As Western tourists infiltrated the society of these countries they began to offer more of the comforts and ideals that the tourists desired such as fast food restaurants, luxury hotels, and larger vehicles. The Western influence can still be observed in Burkina Faso, but it has permeated the society to a lesser extent.

When I tell Burkinabé people that I am Canadian, their following question is not to determine where Canada is or if it is a part of the United States, but rather in what region of Canada I live. When I tell Canadian people that I am in Burkina Faso, often their first question is instead “where is that?” Whether or not we have visited a specific African country, we have still been influential in the changes it has experienced over time. With the amount of influence that we have had in these countries, the least we can do is respect their differences. In a world that is becoming more globalized and better connected every day, distinguishing between our global neighbours is important and arguably essential.