Spring Break
Miami orgs to host open forum, presentation about education in Africa
Sam Stupak
Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: Campus
Miami University students will have the opportunity to learn about and help improve Africa-without having to travel across the ocean.
Malawi, Tanzania, and Nigeria are among the African countries to be spotlighted Sept. 26 at the upcoming "Speaking of Africa … an Africa awareness event."
The Ambassadors for Children organization and the African School Advancement Program have planned presentations by lecturers and student members as well as pictures and African food for the event, to be held from 1-5 p.m. in Shriver Multipurpose Rooms B and C.
The forum will include two speakers from Miami: Adetutu Abatan, a faculty member in the English department, and Oliver Mogga, a graduate student. Abatan is from Nigeria, while Mogga is from Sudan, and both will discuss the cultures of their
respective countries.
According to senior Marissa Hirsh, president of the Miami chapter of Ambassadors for Children (AFC), the forum's goal is too "shed a positive light on Africa."
Hirsh and Meredith Poff, president of the African School Advancement Program (ASAP), call the forum an awareness event and hope that it will get more students interested in Africa.
Although the two speakers were brought in by the groups, the forum will also allow members of AFC and the ASAP who traveled to Africa over the summer to speak.
"We're concentrating on the students who went," Hirsh said. "The idea is to get a conversation started about why did they go, and what should we know."
The forum is meant to be an informal place for people to come and talk about anything African with the students and speakers.
"It will help them look beyond what the media portrays," said Paula Saine, an associate professor in the department of teacher education with experience in international teaching. "(The forum will help students to develop) global literacy and global education … and broaden their perspective on education."
Last summer, members of ASAP traveled to Tanzania, while AFC students went to Malawi, Tanzania's southern neighbor.
Malawi, Tanzania, and Nigeria are among the African countries to be spotlighted Sept. 26 at the upcoming "Speaking of Africa … an Africa awareness event."
The Ambassadors for Children organization and the African School Advancement Program have planned presentations by lecturers and student members as well as pictures and African food for the event, to be held from 1-5 p.m. in Shriver Multipurpose Rooms B and C.
The forum will include two speakers from Miami: Adetutu Abatan, a faculty member in the English department, and Oliver Mogga, a graduate student. Abatan is from Nigeria, while Mogga is from Sudan, and both will discuss the cultures of their
respective countries.
According to senior Marissa Hirsh, president of the Miami chapter of Ambassadors for Children (AFC), the forum's goal is too "shed a positive light on Africa."
Hirsh and Meredith Poff, president of the African School Advancement Program (ASAP), call the forum an awareness event and hope that it will get more students interested in Africa.
Although the two speakers were brought in by the groups, the forum will also allow members of AFC and the ASAP who traveled to Africa over the summer to speak.
"We're concentrating on the students who went," Hirsh said. "The idea is to get a conversation started about why did they go, and what should we know."
The forum is meant to be an informal place for people to come and talk about anything African with the students and speakers.
"It will help them look beyond what the media portrays," said Paula Saine, an associate professor in the department of teacher education with experience in international teaching. "(The forum will help students to develop) global literacy and global education … and broaden their perspective on education."
Last summer, members of ASAP traveled to Tanzania, while AFC students went to Malawi, Tanzania's southern neighbor.
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getting involved
posted 10/05/08 @ 5:37 PM EST
Those interested in helping those in poverty can also look at getting involved with the Grameen Foundation. They have been very successful in providing microfinance to those who normally would not be able to secure loans to start a business. (Continued…)
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