Faces of Africa: Recent Episodes
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Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Nigeria, Africa's most populated country and home to over 170 million people. Its crowded cities offer a colorful and vibrant mix of sights, sounds, smells and a constant atmosphere of festivity. The bustling streets play host to dancers, actors and entertainers of every variety, turning the towns and cities into outdoor theatres. Perhaps the most notorious group of entertainers in Nigeria are the hyena men, a unique travelling circus that earns a living by attracting crowds through their unusual interaction with dangerous animals. But to these hyena men, it is not just a job. Their performance is a tradition that has been passed down to them through many generations. And one which they will in turn pass on to their children.
With the advent of science and telescopes, humans have been looking deeper and deeper into the sky, gradually finding out more and more about the universe. Radio astronomer Nadeem Oozeer participated in the construction of the most powerful radio telescope in the world. With its headquarters in Cape Town and radio dishes in the remote desert, the square kilometer array will provide data to answer humankind's most fundamental questions about the universe - where did it come from and of what is it made?
Ramon-films is located inside a slum on the outskirt of Kampala, called Wakaliga, from where the name Wakaliwood is derived. So far, it is the sole content producer for Wakaliwood. It is from inside the slum that Uganda's best known action film director Isaac Nabwana makes his films.
Africa, the last frontier, is a continent of diverse people, and a land rich in social and natural resources. But also because of its resources, the continent has been ravaged by slavery, plundered by colonizers, and has been badly affected by serval post-colonial conflicts. All these left a history of horrific violence, widespread poverty, and many of these countries are in need of good leadership.
Zhao Tian'an is the head of a Chinese construction project in Lesotho. His company, Zhongnan Engineering Corporation, is building a new hospital on top of the original foundation of The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, which has been out of service since 2011.
Cape Town has been a melting pot for people from around the world for centuries. Ever since apartheid ended in 1949, the city has been luring more and more people from other parts of the continent. In a central suburb of Cape Town called Observatory, a group of children is preparing for a lesson in the form of an unusual physical activity, one that was virtually unknown in South Africa until the late 1990s. This form is called Capoeira, a high impact mixture of dance, performance, martial arts and spirituality that originated in Angola before traveling to Brazil centuries ago.
Chobe National Park in Northern Botswana is home to some of Africa’s most magnificent bush and wildlife. Hippos, crocodiles, lions, and a diverse bird life thrive here. It hosts one of the largest elephant concentrations on the continent. For nearly fifty years, only one lodge operates on the banks of the river. This is the Chobe Game Lodge. Here, a dedicated team of guides shares the area's rich ecosystem with tourists from around the world.
At the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania, a small organization has adopted a groundbreaking and unusual approach in tackling two of Africa’s most deadly epidemics - landmines and tuberculosis. At their headquarters, APOPO breeds African giant pouched rats and trains them to sniff out landmines that still scatter post conflict countries and to pick out positive TB samples that clinics have missed.
Access to health care is a serious challenge in Africa. Hospitals and clinics often find it difficult to employ enough trained medical staff to cope with the number of people needing care. Those living in rural areas are the most affected. While specialists are available, many patients cannot afford treatment. According to international charities, almost 800 children on the continent die every day because families do not have enough money to take them to hospital. "The Flying Doctors" decided that if patients could not come to them, they would go to the patients and pay for their treatment.
Eritrea is a region steeped in ancient empires and history. In many ways, the best way to understand this country for a window into its soul is to understand its obsession with the bike.
Winning the Nobel Peace Prize and signing Kenya's peace accord are two momentous events that define the life and times of Kofi Atta Annan. One was the apex of a civil service career spanning over five decades and the second what he did post-retirement. Arguably one of the most iconic African global statesman, Kofi's international civil service career still continues to captivate the diplomatic world.
Lusaka is one of the fastest developing cities in Africa. It is home to nearly two million people full of dreams for the big city in a quiet suburb. Yamwisha Muyunda is part of a vibrant, self-motivated ensemble called the Afro Jazz. The group consists of young musicians from Lusaka. They are millennials that have integrated selfies and Instagram into the classical music scene. It is often hard for these young people to get into classical music, yet they continue to fight for their love.
There are more than eight drowning incidents for every 100,000 people in Africa, one of the highest single causes of death in the world, according to the World Health Organization report of 2015. Local statistics from the same period suggest more people die through drowning than through traffic accidents in Ghana, with over three quarters of the casualties being children under the age of fifteen years. Felix Uzor is a 48-year-old Nigerian born Ghanaian. He has been championing an anti-drowning awareness campaign through an organization called the Felix Foundation.
At 5,895 meters, Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, and one of the several natural wonders of the world. While thousands come from all over the world and have a thousand different reasons to climb Kilimanjaro, for Ugandan Jaffar Amin and Tanzanian Madaraka Nyerere, this is more than a potentially deadly challenge to reach the top. Their climb is a journey of peace, of discovery, of reconciliation.
Natural beauty, rich history, edge culture, two oceans, this could only be Cape Town, South Africa, the mother city as it's known, and we're here to find its most famous adopted son, which shouldn't be hard as his name or image can be found almost everywhere. It’s on the road signs, in the art. It's even on the tips of tourists tongues. Nelson Mandela is now very much a part of the local tourist circuit.
Natural beauty, rich history, edge culture, two oceans, this could only be Cape Town, South Africa, the mother city as it's known, and we're here to find its most famous adopted son, which shouldn't be hard as his name or image can be found almost everywhere. It’s on the road signs, in the art. It's even on the tips of tourists tongues. Nelson Mandela is now very much a part of the local tourist circuit.
The volcanic island of Reunion, rising over 300m from the ocean, is a hiker's paradise. Patrice Zulme is a Hiking Guide who accompanies clients to remote parts of the island. His destinations include the Mafate volcanic circle, named after a leader of the so-called Marrons, or escaped slaves. Reunion is increasingly threatened by overdevelopment, increased tourism and overpopulation.
It's four o'clock in the morning, deep in the Kenyan bush. Men and women with a mission are preparing for another grueling day. This is not the army or the police, but a team of paramilitary officers who dedicated their careers to a global cause.
It is dawn here in Nairobi today and hundreds of thousands of the city's inhabitants are on the move. This is Kenya's capital, the hub of east and central Africa. A magnet since its early days for those seeking opportunities and a better life, but it is also a city of contrast where the haves and have-nots rush past each other. In Loresho, a leafy suburb of Nairobi, aviator, rally driver and entrepreneur Mohammed Aslam is beginning his day. His story is like that of Nairobi's, and like those who over the years have come, made their home here and strived to achieve success in this competitive melting port.
Water is life. Seventy percent of the earth surface is covered with water. Life on earth is depended on healthy oceans. And our entire marine eco-system is under severer stress.
Water is life. Seventy percent of the earth surface is covered with water. Life on earth is depended on healthy oceans. And our entire marine eco-system is under severer stress.
Coronation Day in Shashemene, Ethiopia, is the day the Rastafarians celebrate the crowning of Haile Selassie as emperor of Ethiopia in 1930. Their name Rastafarians or Rastafari comes from Haile Selassie's name before his coronation - Ras Tafari.
An ordinary day in Abeokuta in Western Nigeria, Chief Obasanjo is attending visitors to his presidential library complex. It is this buzzy nation that Chief Obasanjo has been ruling as a president until 2007. Retirement in his home area Abeokuta seems not to be the option. Among other things, he has working on his presidential library building that has a permanent exhibition of his life history and his work as the president of Nigeria.
David de Villiers, is a master seaman. Based in Cape Town in South Africa, sailing is his life. David believes that the ocean around this historic city is particularly special.
The bright lights of the catwalk, fashion capitals of the world, where beautiful models strut their stuff. It is here that budding and established designers gather. But before they graced the runways, some of them led an ordinary existence. One such story is that of Mpule Kwelagobe, a girl from Botswana who dared to dream.
Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, is being called the most dangerous place on earth. For more than 20 years, the country has been wrecked by a bitter civil war. But today, things are changing. A fragile peace is holding, and there's hope that the long-standing conflict is finally reaching its end. But while for many here, life is getting better, for some, it's getting worse.
When Isabel's son Yani was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, she decided to open the association Colmeia to offer a safe haven for children like him in Cape Verde. The association has become the face of intellectual disabilities in a country where stigma is rife.
Wangari Maathai was recognized across the globe as a warrior for the environment and a campaigner for human rights. Widely known just by her first name Wangari, she was responsible for planting more than thirty million trees across Africa in her lifetime. But she did much more than simply plant trees.
In 1993, all but one of the Zambian national football team died in an air crash in the Atlantic Ocean. With a warrior-like obsession, a new generation of Zambia's team players finally won the Africa Cup 19 years after the air crash.
In 1993, all but one of the Zambian national football team died in an air crash in the Atlantic Ocean. With a warrior-like obsession, a new generation of Zambia's team players finally won the Africa Cup 19 years after the air crash.
While COVID-19 made crime a big issue for careers working in the community, the Bishop Lavis area experienced crime and drug activities for decades. Many people attribute this to the brutality and forced removals that took place during apartheid times.
Doctor Mumtaz Abbas provides clinical support and training at the Bishop Lavis Clinic, providing care and services to a community that sprawls across Cape Town’s notorious cape flats. It’s a role that can be difficult at the best of times, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought entirely new challenges.
The East African Coastline boarding the so-called Indian Ocean is a treasure trove of history.
In Nairobi, Kenya, there's a club called "Inked Sisterhood" with members being all females, of course. They work on different fields but share one common interest – superbike riding.
In the centuries before the Suez Canal, the trade route between East and West had to pass Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1652 to stock passing ships with supplies, it was in the Western Cape that Africa's first capital intensive farming took place. Almost 500 years later, that farming tradition continues and food is a major industry here. Only now, the challenge is not to supply passing ships, but rather to help provide food for a continent of more than a billion people.
In the centuries before the Suez Canal, the trade route between East and West had to pass Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1652 to stock passing ships with supplies, it was in the Western Cape that Africa's first capital intensive farming took place. Almost 500 years later, that farming tradition continues and food is a major industry here. Only now, the challenge is not to supply passing ships, but rather to help provide food for a continent of more than a billion people.
The Swahili coast, also known as the East African Coastline, has been an area of ancient comers and culture for over a millennium.
With some of the highest natural sand dunes in the world, Namibia's a mecca for sandboarders. Being extreme personalities, they never stop trying to conquer the most difficult ride.
Like most African countries, Lesotho has experienced extensive urbanization and its society has been transformed by social and cultural influences from elsewhere. One such influence comes in the form of choral music.
A month ago, tired of hurting the goats and seeing other children go to school, Tumanka run away from his father's home, Leaving the goats behind. Today, he wakes up early in the morning. Tumanka is going to school.
Mount Kilimanjaro is waiting for us to get on it. Another thirty years may be another century, and all of that might be gone.
There's Mount Kilimanjaro waiting for us to get on it. It's cold. It's wet. It's windy. This is pretty intimidating, but at the same time it's exciting. It's new. It’s different. It's a challenge. And that's usually the best part.
Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Khomas highland plateau. It is a small, isolated city that lies at the heart of one of the most sparsely populated countries on the continent. It may not be a place from where one would expect a dynamic new fashion movement to arise, but at a home in the working class area, a group of friends is getting dressed for an unusual photo shoot.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.
Faces of Africa presents documentaries on people in Africa, either prominent or ordinary, who have great stories to tell about Africa.