Among the many traditions practiced by the Luo of Kenya for centuries before European colonization, the ceremonies and rituals performed in the event of the death of a family member or community member were particularly meaningful. The Luo funeral process involved a series of regimented stages to be followed by the family and community of... Read more »
The mixing of cultures can result in new practices, sometimes at the expense of long-held beliefs and traditions. Some groups, like the Luo in Kenya, seek to preserve and promote their traditional culture within the new, foreign culture expanding into their land. In seeking to preserve and promote their own culture, the Luo are trying... Read more »
The African continent, like other continents around the world, has many natural rock formations and other structural wonders with deep significance for the ethnic groups and communities living around them. One of these is Kit Mikayi. Kit Mikayi is a natural geographical site in Kenya with hallowed grounds that attract thousands of religious members who... Read more »
A Spanish-American philosopher, George Santayana, spoke of history in his famous aphorism “those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” People can avoid the pitfalls of forgetting the history of their countries specifically and of the world generally through various reminders of history. For example, people have built physical structures to honor... Read more »
The fading cream-colored paint peeling off the wall of the Ambrose Ofafa Memorial Building tells you that the building has not had a brush with fresh paint for a very long time. The concrete steps leading into various rooms in the building are frayed in places, and the terrace snaking around the building is marked... Read more »
The Kisumu War Cemetery in Kisumu is an important historical site as it represents the sordid history of Africa’s military service in World War II. While the Commonwealth Graves Commission established the cemetery in 1915 for war burials that occurred during World War I, the vast majority of those buried there served in World War... Read more »