WORKING TOGETHER WITH COMPANIES AND MEDIA:

Two ways:
Engaging companies through their visions and missions, for them to help in empowering and motivating people’s abilities and creativity towards nations building. We have many companies whose goals focuses on development o0f the continent

The below message run recently in one of the papers
Celtel Company has succeeded in bringing East Africa closer by breaking down geographical borders. Celtel has more than 15 million customers in 15 countries throughout Africa

“Our goal and core mission is to change the future of Africa while making life better for all living on the continent- Managing Director said

Working with Celtel company can help reach to the countries and people they have as their customers. What more? Through combined effort, it would be easier to reach every person in the whole of Africa, therefore raising their standards and values

Born. In Africa: Celtel is Africa’s only homegrown communications network, delivering world-class technology, infrastructure and services
Fruits of our minds. And our hearts. Celtel. The soul of Africa. (This advert appeared on the front page of New African Magazine 2005 page 5)

We have such successful companies as Kenya Airways whose determination to create pride in Africa can be felt everywhere. And this tells you how the idea to build Africa could be effective if all gets involved

Media
“It is nauseating to keep blaming the western media for portraying Africa in bad light because to them it is war, famine and others that make news there because they are not familiar with them. It will be until we start giving our stories that trend will change” (June Arunga, in search of true Africa story)

Two new TV channels, recently launched in the USA and Brazil hope to change how the world sees Africa and people of Africa descent. Starving children, tribal warfare and diseases are all that most Americans see of Africa on their Television sets. Whether by design or accident, US Television stations present Africa when they bother to cover it at all, as a ‘dark continent’ with little light on it

But with the launch in America September 2005 of the Africa Channel, a 24-hour cable Television station, featuring top quality programming from several African countries, Africa will be seen in a more positive light in the US than ever before

“Africa has been called a ‘Dark continent’ for such a long time.” Says 45-year-old Makawa, the CEO of the Africa channel. “We are trying to shed light on that incredibly vibrant place in a very, very positive way.”

Another Africa- related channel, TV da Gente (which means ‘Our TV) was launched in Brazil with almost the same initiative, as the first black TV channel in a country where more than ½ the population of 180 million people is African descended people

The money to start the channel came from a variety of sources. Dikembe Mutombo, the US based Congolese basketball superstar is an investor, as is the consulting firm, Good works International and Weller/ Grossman productions a Television company that has made its name as a producer of reality programs

Andrew Young, the civil rights activist and former US ambassador to the United Nations, is also an investor

“One of the things that we do know is that we don’t know anything about Africa” Andrew Young said of Americans in a recent Television interview. “Most of us still think of Africa either in terms of Tarzan or tragedy (New African Magazine Feb. 2005)

Africa live the dream, through its initiative would want to engage with companies, media channels, investors and personalities to express awakening, awareness and revelation to Africans and Africa at all cost. First the project must change the hearts and mind of Africans. It is very difficult to get people energized about their continent unless they change their hearts and minds to it. This change comes through transformation and empowerment