April 2020

by Mais Af
April was meant to mark the beginning of a fun-filled spring/summer 2020 however, mother nature had other plans - COVID-19.
On a side note:
Aren't we all glad WhatsApp has reduced the forwarding abilities for some messages so those trigger-happy parents, aunties, uncles, grandparents and extended family members can stop forwarding fake news to us! 

Do visit the World Health Organisation (WHO) for FACTUAL up-to-date information (no shade Aunty ;) ).

So, in light of the current global pandemic, we've drawn up a list of fun African inspired ways to stay home, stay sane and stay connected...some reading, a bit of cooking (okay maybe a lot), some shopping and some baking!

 SHOP

 Over the last few months Belma Gaudio of Koibird had been planning quite a spectacular 2020 for us - she'd partnered with Helen Jennings of Naatal + Omoyemi Akerele's Lagos Fashion Week to showcase some beautiful pieces at their home in Marylebone, London - with store inspiration from late Senegalese artist Babarcar MbodjNiang
Sadly, as only essential services are open (though, in our view, this is an essential service ;) ) the store has had to close due to Corona Virus. However, they are available online. Below is a sneak peek of their store for those who cant wait for the shops to open. 
  

IN OTHER NEWS...

Kenneth Ize's debut at Paris Fashion Week prior to the lockdown was beautifully executed. Runway icon Naomi Campbell along with Mayowa Nicholas, Alton Mason and a host of models got a lot of tongues wagging for all the right reasons. This month, Ize debuts his collection with Browns Fashion. Goods are available here.

Read

So, you've won back between 3 and 6 hours of commuter time a week - what to do?! What better way than to immerse yourself in some great African literature. 

We've gone for a sketchy theme this month; war and conflict - for good reason.
This year marks 50 years since the end of Nigeria's civil war -  The Biafran War- so we thought to select work from Authors who could tell the war through Biafran eyes.
As very little is documented on the Biafran war and its long-term effects on people, the Igbos (who wanted secession) and Nigerian society at large, we thought this would provide a more wholesome insight into an often overlooked period in modern African history.

Chukwuemeka Ike - Sunset at Dawn



This book tells the story of Fatima and her son, intricately telling a story of war, fusing tragedy, satire and humour. 

Sadly, Ike passed away on the 9th of January of this year but his legacy and words life through his work.

 

 

Flora Nwapa - Never Again


A refreshing voice of war through the eyes of women. This novel explores the significant role women played throughout the war, whilst also detailing the trauma of war on communities.

The story is set around Kate- middle classed Biafran who, with her 5 children, try to navigate their way back to their hometown in the hope of finding peace.

 

  

Isha Sesay - Beneath the Tamarind Tree



The forgotten tales of Nigeria's stolen girl children.On the14th of April 2014, in a small town close to the Chadian border, 280 female students were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram. Isha Sesay, who then was a CNN reporter, was at the heart of this unsettling story.  

The story brought about the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag and still raises several questions about Nigeria's overall management of this tragedy. Isha delves into the  story with a different angle; focusing on the resilience, courage and the dangers journalists face daily. 

Jennifer Makumbi - Manchester Happened



Makumbi's collection of stories tells a tale of Ugandan identity in a British context.

The stories show us how people, in a bid to settle into somewhere they can call home, toggle between being placed and being misplaced

 

 

JJ Bola - Mask off: Masculinity redefined



Is masculinity a performance? Is it toxic? Fragile? Is it poorly defined?

JJ Bola explores the multifaceted underrepresented faces of masculinity, through sexuality, migration whilst also touching on social conditioning 

  

  

Cook

Now I know this isn't for everyone but if you do enjoy cooking as much as we do we thought perhaps you could give some of these a go.
YIKES! Nandos has temporarily shut its doors but that shouldn't mean the end of your peri-peri romance. Why not try making your own peri-peri chicken at home using this Mozambican recipe?! 
This will take about 2 hrs all in BUT the results are worth it! 
This particular recipe from Rock Recipes states its 'better than Nandos'... big shoes to fill in my opinion but after trying it, it deserves that title!
 
If you want to take it up a notch, why not learn the ancient art of jollof rice making. 

 

*Jollof rice*

 

The contentious west African dish has started wars AND romances (been on both sides of this fence). So, with all the free time we now have indoors between Team/Zoom/Webex meetings we thought this would be the best time to settle this argument!
We have 3 recipes. 1 from the progenitor and two imposters. So you can finally decide if it is better to fail in originality than it is to succeed in imitation.
 
So we have three recipes:
Good luck!

 Ba(r)king Mad

For whatever reason, the whole world has gone baking mad!
And by baking we mean solely banana bread! What is up with that?! The world has gone... Bananas!

If you (like me) are tired of making banana bread, pop over to Arewa Baobab for some delicious sweet treats. Baobab is an African super-fruit packed with antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients.This lock-down has had them churning out some classic desserts - with their boabab twist of course so give them a go! 
  

That's us for April. Hopefully they let us out in May. If not,

 

 Please, stay home. Don't go out unless absolutely necessary and to the best of your ability, apply the social distancing rule of 2 metres!

Back to Events