Here are just some of the ways GE employees love their motherland.
It’s Africa Day on 25 May, and that means it’s time to celebrate the best parts of humankind’s home continent.
Here are just some of the ways GE employees love their motherland.
Some favoured the traditional music of their homes, while others gravitated toward modern music with lyrics that told stories they could relate to. “I love Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba.’ Apart from the fact that the rhythm is fantastic, it also tells the story of his early days and how his struggles, hard work, prayers and family support got him to where he is now against all odds,” said Bisi Shonekan, a Commercial Proposals Manager based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Zenildo Dos Santos, an operations planning specialist for GE Oil & Gas in Luanda loves an Angolan dance style knows as Kizomba. “It is derived of Angola’s traditional Semba dance. It’s a more modern music genre with a sensual touch mixed with African rhythm,” he says.
Africa’s rich and vibrant storytelling culture also came to the surface. “My favourite African author is undoubtedly Charles Mungoshi. When I look back, there have been two periods in my life, ‘before Mungoshi’ and ‘in the year of Mungoshi, after I had read his cutting words,” said Shaun Glover, Africa CFO for GE Healthcare, based in Johannesburg.
Yvonne Allanah, a supply chain professional for GE Oil & Gas in Nigeria recommends books by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. “Nwaubani is able to tell a story about a flaw in African society, but with so much realism that you feel compassion for the characters in the predicaments,” she says. “This is what I love about African literature – the familiarity it brings and they eyes into the plethora of cultures within Africa.”
Nothing beats the taste of home. Aldobanda Sampaio, a corporate and international tax consultant for GE based in Mozambique, is passionate about of his country’s cuisine. “My favourite food is okra curry with prawns, because this is what my mother used to make so much when I was young. I don’t believe you can find it anywhere else but Mozambique.”
Jacqueline Karachi, a sales leader at GE Healthcare in Kenya, loves remembering her childhood home. “My favourite place in Africa is my hometown of Meru, Kenya. I love the stream on our farm – it reminds me of pleasant childhood memories.”
“My favourite place on the planet is the Matobo Hills. This magical granite landscape is spiritually, geologically, historically and ecologically important. Weird and wonderful collections of balancing rocks abound, and it’s home to amazing ancient rock paintings,” says Shaun Glover.
Zenildo summed up the feelings of many GE employees about what they love about Africa. “It’s the cradle of humankind, and the people here are warm and hardworking.”
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.