I had the privilege to attend the 2016 African Youth Education Awards (AYEA) in Hamburg which for me belongs to one of the well-organized events by the African Diaspora in Hamburg.

In terms of event management, the African Diaspora has constantly been linked to a clichee of disregard for time, ill-prepared programs, less attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

Traditionally, one can also argue that most African communities in Germany have placed much focus on socio-cultural programs (Outdoorings, Funeral Celebrations, Cultural Shows, etc.) to highlight their existence in the public domain.

I humbly want to proclaim that the AYEA program is now one of the leading platforms to showcase a different image of the African Diaspora in Germany.

My confidence in making such a proclamation thrives around my personal observations whilst attending the AYEA awards. Essentially, I'd restrict my opinions to the following:

Professionalism:
The organizers of the AYEA have clearly understood that the regard for punctuality directly translates into respect for participants and also lays the foundation for effectiveness.

The program started on time - which was the first surprise I took notice of- and it was executed within the allocated time. This brings to mind that I have to give a big credit to the 3 young African female moderators who combined glamour, professional expertise and resolute assertiveness to drive this event to the expected targets.

Attendance & Awards:
The AYEA program was patronized by signficant personalities from the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, representatives from the Hamburg Local Government, Embassy of Uganda, Notable Parliamentarians, Student Associations and many more distinguished individuals. For me, this platform delivered the ever so important avenue for vital engagements between the political divide in Germany and the African Diaspora. The presentations stressed the need for the African Diaspora to consolidate its position within the society at large by taking advantage of all integration avenues.

At the same time, the awards to our young African brothers and sisters can be seen as powerful motivation factors, however, I am of the view that they clearly depicted an increasing trend of the African youth walking a different path in comparison to the older generation. Specifically, this is an indication that they have embraced the idea that achieving excellence in education is a core prerequisite for career development and social integration in Germany.

The event sequence combining formal presentations, entertainment acts and motivational speeches were driven in a manner which captured my attention from beginning to end. Boredom factor was zero and I believe this is achievable through experience which the organizers have gained in the last couple of years. 

Writing your Story:
Unfortunately, Africans (both on the continent and in the diaspora) have never had the joy, resources and the platform to write and communicate their own history (culture, religion, traditions, etc.) to the rest of the world. This role has often been occupied by foreign media, especially western media who, evidently, have always presented Africans in the light of their own expectations, imaginations and purposes.

Going forward, this situation has to change and the AYEA showcased that this is a viable avenue for the African Diaspora to tell its own story.

Logistics, Hospitality and Services:
As a Professional Project Manager, I could see that a lot of planning, time, resources and engagements have been invested into this event or I'd say project.

The outcome was simply remarkable - participants neither noticed any technical issues nor logistical challenges.

On the other hand,  I thought the representation and involvement of the African Diaspora in Hamburg leaves much to be desired. Yes, more hands on deck! Hamburg has the largest number of Africans in Germany and I am convinced they could put more resources together to expand the dimensions of this event. I'd also expect to see more African businesses in Hamburg taking up the role of sponsors for this event.

By Alex Kofi Appiah PMP
Senior IT Project Manager
Essen, Germany

TopAfric Media Network

Mr. Smith - We have to talk! So heisst die neue Radioshow bei TopAfric die Montag bis Freitag ab dem 12.01.2017 um jeweils 15:00 Uhr ausgestrahlt wird. Moderiert wird die Sendung von dem selbst ernannten "Gentleman of Talk" Shadon Smith (30), der sich mit vielen Themen auseinandersetzt die unsere heutige Gesellschaft betreffen. 

Themen wie z.B. die Frage nach der Rollenverteilung zwischen Männern und Frauen im 21. Jahrhundert. Gehören Frauen hinter dem Herd während der Mann das Geld verdient, oder geht die Frau arbeiten und der Mann zieht sich die Kochschürze an? Brauchen Frauen heutzutage überhaupt noch einen Mann für ein glückliches Familienleben? "Mr. Smith - We have to talk!". Neben den Sozialen Themen werden auch politische Themen behandelt wie die Frage nach Donald Trump: Kann es mit ihm besser werden? "Mr. Smith - We have to talk!".

Moderiert wird frei aus dem Bauch heraus, wobei auch die Interaktion mit den Zuhörern ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Sendung ist. Die Radioshow steht unter dem Motto "Deine Meinung zählt". Somit sind alle Zuhörer bei Mr. Smith - We have to talk! aufgerufen sich zu den Themen zu beteiligen und über die Studiohotline mitzureden.

Euch erwartet eine unterhaltsame Show mit angenehmer RnB und Hip Hop Musik aus den 90er bis 2000er Jahre, ebenso viel Charme und Emotionen in den Moderationen. We have to talk!
http://topafric.com/index.php/online-live-radio
Thomas Rudd

We need to radically rethink the notion that Britain is helping Africa to develop. The UK's large aid programme is, among other things, being used to promote African policies from which British corporations will further profit. British policy in Africa, and indeed that of African elites, needs to be challenged and substantially changed if we are serious about promoting long term economic development on the continent.

UK companies’ increasingly dominant role in Africa, which is akin to a new colonialism, is being facilitated by British governments, Conservative and Labour alike. Four policies stand out. First, Whitehall has long been a fierce advocate of liberalized trade and investment regimes in Africa that provide access to markets for foreign companies. It is largely opposed to African countries putting up regulatory or protectionist barriers to such investment, the sorts of policies where have often been used by successful developers in East Asia. Second, Britain has been a world leader in advocating low corporate taxes in Africa, including in the extractives sector.

Third, British policy has done nothing to challenge multinational companies using tax havens; indeed the global infrastructure of tax havens is largely a British creation. Fourth, British governments have constantly espoused only voluntary mechanisms for companies to monitor their human rights impacts; they are opposed to enhancing international legally binding mechanisms to curb abuses.

The result is that Africa, the world’s poorest continent, is being further impoverished. Recent research calculated, for the first time, all the financial inflows and outflows to and from sub-Saharan Africa to gauge whether Africa is being helped or exploited by the rest of the world. It found that $134billion flows into the continent each year, mainly in the form of loans, foreign investment and aid. However, $192billion is taken out, mainly in profits made by foreign companies and tax dodging. The result is that Africa suffers a net loss of $58billion a year. British mining companies and their government backers are contributing to this drainage of wealth.

We need to radically rethink the notion that Britain is helping Africa to develop. The UK’s large aid programme is, among other things, being used to promote African policies from which British corporations will further profit. British policy in Africa, and indeed that of African elites, needs to be challenged and substantially changed if we are serious about promoting long term economic development on the continent.

By Mark Curtis
Mark Curtis is an author and consultant. He is a former Research Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and has been an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde and Visiting Research Fellow at the Institut Francais des Relations

Freedom they say is taken and not given especially when one or groups are held down by Baboons and Monkeys in the zoo without a cogent reason other than Mr White man dictated it. As part of the effort from the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) to take freedom from Islamic Republic of northern Nigeria and her southern slave counterparts. 

The controversial and charismatic leader of the group (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the top leadership has announced the 16th of February 2019 as the D-day for the much awaited Referendum-date for Biafrans to cast votes to prove to the whole world their aspirations and seriousness to secede from the darkest damnable evil zoological contraption called Nigeria and into a nation.. There is no doubt the date chosen by IPOB coincides with the date of Nigeria general election coming up on the 16th of February , a ploy to cast aspersions and to demonstrate to the world Biafra's rejection of the Nigeria state as a willing partner.

Biafran Referendum unlike many others will be a Sit-At-Home Instead of the masses trooping out en mass to vote people they will vote by complying with "Sit-at-Home" order. Many thanks to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his deputy Uche Mefor and to all the hardcores Ipob's all over for the massive awareness in the land of 'milk and honey' (Biafraland) through the finest and second to non-Radio Biafra London. From all indexes and indications Biafrans at home and abroad are ever ready to obey the 'stay-at- home' as a way to support the good work of their leaders call for Referendum and Freedom.

The world is watching, while the Islamic oligarchs are scheming in disarray one things is for sure Biafrans are ready to leave Egypt and no amount of pressure will dissuade the children of God's not to end the 'devil and long spoon' romance with Almajiris north. Let us take solace in the wise counselling of supreme leader who always says 'In the end the popular wishes of the indigenous people of Biafra shall prevail and Biafra will come… Nigeria as a state has failed in every ramifications the only things awaits her now is to finally to crumble to earth. By boycotting the "repetitive deception" in the name of voting is the best way to go about the injustice and injury perpetuated by Fulani Oligarchies to Biafrans.

Therefore it now behold upon any sane minded Biafran that had made up his or her not to vote to carry others alone in the direction of this noble call. Hurray! Biafra is about to be free, do your part now. Cast your vote by adhering to "Sit-at-Home" order on the 16th of February 2019..May Chukwuabiama bless Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and all the principal officers of IPOB. Iseeee iseeeees iseeeees. Happy birthday to me once again.

By KC Adams

At just 31 years old, Rebeca Gyumi has a list of accomplishments anyone twice her age would be proud of. She has successfully challenged her country's legal system, winning a landmark ruling in 2016 to raise the age of child marriage for girls in Tanzania from 14 to 18; started a foundation to advocate for girls' education; won the UNICEF Global Goal Award and was named 2016 Woman of the Year by New Africa Magazine. Now, she's on her way to New York to collect the 2018 Human Rights Prize awarded by the United Nations.

"I was pretty much shocked. So shocked and caught unaware that I was even considered for such a prestigious prize," she tells CNN.

Gyumi was just a child herself when she started to see the injustice happening around her. She was 13 when some of her schoolmates were forced to drop out of school because of pregnancy and were married off. Volunteering at a youth initiative at the age of 20, she began to realize it was a national problem and not just a local one happening in her hometown of Dodoma.

"It bothered me that the age for boys to be married was 18 but for girls it was 14," she says.

It wasn't until she was in university studying law that she learned about the Law of Marriage Act of 1971 and saw the potential in trying to mount a legal challenge against it.

In 2016, with a couple of years as a lawyer under her belt, Gyumi and her colleagues decided to do just that. They started work on a legal case to petition against the Marriage Act, compiling reports to prove that child marriage for girls was an issue nationwide and why it needed to be stopped.

According to the country's national demographic and health survey of 2015/16, two out of every five girls marry before their 18th birthday with a prevalence rate of 37% nationwide, giving Tanzania one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.

"Lots of people were not amused and thought we were disruptive, saying 'young people have tried before and failed.' But when we started attending sessions in court with a positive outcome, organizations came back and said they were willing to work together with us."

Gyumi and her colleagues persevered and in 2016, at the age of 29, she was victorious. Tanzania's High Court ruled that sections 13 and 17 of the Marriage Act were unconstitutionaland that the age for girls to legally marry should be raised to 18.

"I was so happy that day for the fact that a girl child had won. I was overwhelmed with joy," she says.

"I felt duty bound to fight for the girls I had interacted with. They didn't have enough information to know how to challenge what was happening to them."

The woman who fought to stop child marriages, and won

While her success was celebrated by many around the country, some hard-liners and traditionalists were not happy, attacking her for promoting a "Western culture."

Furthermore, the landmark ruling was subsequently thrust into legal peril when the government appealed against it last year. One of the arguments of their appeal states that child marriage can actually protect girls who get pregnant out of wedlock.

The case is currently in Tanzania's high court with a verdict due soon. Despite the challenge, Gyumi remains steadfast.

"For me I feel like we are at the moment where our country really needs to defend girls' rights. This appeal does not send a good message of our country's intention to protect girls generally. It will look really bad on the government if they win. There is no victory in winning a case that allows girls to get married younger. It's not a victory a country can be proud of."

Even if the law is upheld, Gyumi says there's still a lot of work to be done.

"The change in the law is not the only thing we're advocating for. We need to make sure the law is implemented at a ground level. We need to teach girls around the country to stand up for their rights and continue engaging with communities."

A girl gets married every 2 seconds somewhere in the world

Gyumi's success is testament to the power of education, a cause she now advocates for through her foundation, Msichana.

"The fact that I'm here today and doing what I'm doing is due to education. My family didn't have a lot but they sacrificed what they had to give me an education. Imagine what it's like for other people in my country, if they're able to get an education and explore life without limits, without boys telling them 'you're a girl, you can only go as far as this,' those kind of voices can then be challenged."

Winning the 2018 Human Rights Prize puts Gyumi on the international stage alongside other activists such as Malala Yousafzai, Denis Mukwege and Nelson Mandela, and it's not something she takes lightly.

"It's not just a personal honor but my country's honor, putting our country on the map. It's a proud moment for me and for the girls I stood up for and for the ongoing global progress that is happening around girls' and women's rights."

Asked what her message is to other young girls out there, her answer is simple.

CNN

‘It’s not just about my experience and my sympathy, it is about the community who needs a voice at the local assembly, we must therefore do everything necessary to be part of the political dispensation’.

Irene was a guest on the Effiya Ephya Show in the studios of Radio TopAfric. The interview was about the upcoming European and Hamburg district elections ‘Bezirksversammlungswahl’. The elections are taking place on Sunday, 26 May 2019.

Born and bred in Hamburg-Billstedt, Irene Appiah is a mother and works with the Hamburg Ministry of Education ‘Schulbehörde’. The seasonal politician is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and is of African heritage, born in 1976 to Ghanaian parents.

She is contesting the Hamburg-Mitte local assembly elections and is seeking the assistance and support of the community to make it.

Question: Who can vote?

Irene:

Persons who are 16 years and above.

Persons who are registered in Hamburg-Mitte for at least six months. 

Persons who hold an EU and/or German passport. 

Question: Do you have what it takes to represent your people?

Irene: 
Yes, long before I entered into politics, I have been a community activist, representing my people, helping with complex bureaucratic issues. My background as a solicitor has been very useful. Besides it is no longer about me, but about us. We have the numbers and must therefore use it to our advantage.

If we are able to mobilise our people well, we can make it. I will then be in a better position to help create educational opportunities for children of African heritage, help establish extra classes, continue with the African Community Centre, which we have already started. Remember most of our people are facing accommodation problems; we can help address this properly.

Question: How can one vote for you?

Irene:
The postal voting system ‘Brierfwahl’ is the most ideal and comfortable way of voting, all eligible voters have been sent voting documents. Those who have not received them could apply at their various district assemblies ‘Bezirksamt – Wahldienstelle’. In my case Bezirksamt Hamburg-Mitte.

The documents include two voting sheets
1. Pink sheet, you can locate my name (Irene Appiah) on position six. Please, cross all five positions in front of my name.
2. Yellow sheet, my name (Appiah Irene) is placed at position 10, cross all five boxes for me. I will appreciate it most if people could take advantage of the postal voting.

Question: What should one do on the actual poll date?

Irene:
On Sunday, the polling stations are open from 8.00 am till 18.00. Eligible voters are encouraged to go and cast their votes. As stated earlier, residents of Hamburg-Mitte, which comprises of the following townships:
Billbrook, Billstedt, Borgfelde, Finkenwerder, HafenCity, Hamburg-Altstadt, Hamm, Hammerbrook, Horn, Kleiner Grasbrook, Neustadt, Neuwerk, Rothenburgsort, St. Georg, St. Pauli, Steinwerder, Veddel, Waltershof and Wilhelmsburg, can vote for me.

In addition, those in Billstedt can also use the pink sheet to vote for me.

Question: What message do you have for your people?

Irene:
I have been serving and representing the interests of the African community and will continue to do so. We have the numbers; we have the people and the competence to be relevant in Germany. Let’s be politically active and participate in taking decisions that concern us. If we refuse and fail to exercise our voting rights, others will decide for us.

I am confident we won’t allow this opportunity to escape us, go and vote, and vote for me.

One can reach Irene as follows:
t: 040 246989
e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
w: www.spd-hh-mitte.de

f: Irene.appiah.5

Many new laws and legislative changes, affecting employees, the unemployed, families and retirees, came into force on 1 January 2019. The African Courier takes us through some of the most important changes that we should know.

Minimum wage rises

The statutory minimum wage (der gesetzliche Mindestlohn) rises from 8.84 euros to 9.19 euros on 1 January 2019. From 2020, employers will have to pay at least 9.35 euros per hour.

Several industry minimum wages have also risen, for example, in the roofing trade, in the electrical trade, in the building cleaning trade, and in the temporary work and care sectors.

Because a job is subject to social insurance if the earnings limit of 450 euros per month is exceeded, those who want to avoid this would have to reduce the working time accordingly.

More time for filing tax return

From 2019, taxpayers will have two months longer to submit their annual tax return (Abgabe der Steuererklärung). Those who submit their tax returns themselves have time to file their returns for 2018 until 31 July 2019. For taxpayers represented by a tax advisor, the deadline will be extended from the end of the year to the 28^th of February of the following year. For example, the tax return for 2018 will then be due latest 28 February 2020.

However, whoever does not submit the tax declaration on time must automatically pay a delay fine.

Higher tax allowance

Income tax is now payable only on an income of more than 9,168 euros (steuerlicher Freibetrag) per year – that is, 168 euros more than in 2018. For jointly assessed couples, the threshold rises to 18,336 euros.

Statutory health insurance for self-employed persons cheaper

For full-time self-employed persons with low incomes, the minimum premium in the statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenkasse) has now been reduced from around 360 euros to about 156 euros per month. The reason: Since 1 January 2019, the minimum assessment basis (Mindestbemessungsgrundlage) for membership in the statutory health insurance for the self-employed has been reduced to 1,038.33 euros (it was 2,284 euro in 2018).

Making calls abroad becomes cheaper

Roaming charges have been history since 2017. Now phone calls and the sending of text messages to other EU countries will become cheaper this year. From mid-May 2019, the price of international calls will be capped at 19 cents per minute. SMS will cost a maximum of six cents.

CHANGES AND NEW LAWS FOR FAMILIES

More child benefit

Child benefit (Kindergeld) will be increased from 1 July 2019. Parents will get 204 euros/per child for the first and second child; 210 euros for the third child; and 235 euros a month for each additional child.

Higher tax deduction for children

The tax exemption for dependent children (Kinderfreibetrag) has been increased, starting from January, to 2490 euros or for both parents to 4980 euros when assessed together.

Child maintenance allowance rises

The alimony payments for children of separated parents (Unterhalt für Trennungskinder) have also been increased. From 1 January 2019, the minimum maintenance allowance payable for children under the age of seven will be 354 instead of the previous 348 euros per month. Seven to twelve-year-olds now get 406 instead of 399 euros. Children from 13 to 18 are entitled to a monthly allowance of 476 euros, it was formerly 467 euros. The minimum allowance for children of full age remains unchanged.

CHANGES FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

Increase in Hartz IV benefit

The standard rates for social assistance and unemployment benefit II (Sozialhilfe und Arbeitslosengeld II) have been increased. Single parents and persons living alone will now receive 424 instead of 416 euros. If you live with another needy person in the same household, you will receive 382 euros instead of 374 euros. The standard rate for children up to five years rises to 245 euros a month, and those from six to 13 years receive 322 instead of 316 euros.

Changes in Unemployment Benefit I

Previously, jobseekers must have held a job that made contribution to the unemployment insurance scheme for 12 months within the last 24 months prior to filing their application to be qualified to draw Unemployment Benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I). From 1 January 2019, twelve months within the last 30 months are now sufficient to qualify for the benefit

Support for the long-term unemployed

For the long-term unemployed, state-funded jobs are now possible for re-entry into working life. Employers receive money from the state for five years to pay the employee: In the first two, labour costs are paid in full, and then the subsidy goes down by ten percentage points every year. Condition for qualification for the scheme is that the long-term unemployed is older than 25 years and has received Hartz IV for at least six years within seven years.

CHANGES FOR RETIREES

Increase in disability pension benefit

Disability pensioners will receive significantly more benefit if they retire from 2019. The pension (Erwerbsminderungsrente) will now be calculated as if the person concerned had worked until the standard retirement age – not like until now 62 years.

Pensioners pay more tax

Anyone who retires this year has to pay more tax on their pension income. From January 2019, the taxable portion of pension (Steuerpflichtiger Teil der Rente) increases from 76 to 78 percent. Thus, only 22 percent of the first full gross annual pension remains tax-free. This percentage applies only to persons retiring as from 2019.

© The African Courier/Femi Awoniyi

A fire in Helsinki has caused the death of a Ghanaian woman and her three children in the early morning of Friday. It is believed that the 40-year-old mother, known at this moment as Nana Ago and the children were sleeping at the time of the incident. The ages of the children are 8, 7 and 3.

Report from http://yle.fi indicates that a neighbor had called the police after noticing the fire in the early morning of Friday before 3 am. The report says that the Fire and Rescue Services reached the scene eleven minutes after they were called and they were able to extinguish the fire quickly. However, resuscitation attempts to save the lives of the victims failed.

The father and husband of the victims, John Owusu, who is also a board member of the Ghana Union Finland, was at work at the time of the incident. It is believed that the fire started from the sauna in their sixth-floor apartment and that the victims had died out of suffocation.

The police are still investigating the cause of the fire. The fire affected no other apartments in the building.

According to the Financial Secretary of the Union, Kwame Afreh, some executive members of Ghana Union Finland have paid a visit to the bereaved family in Helsinki.

The incident has been a shock to the entire Ghanaian community in Finland and some have already sent words of condolence to the bereaved family through various social media platforms.

In order to give Nana Ago and her kids a befitting Burial while supporting her husband she left behind who lost his family as well as all his belongings in the fire, It would be great if everyone could support the bereaved family in this difficult time by donating . 
Simply click here to donate https://www.gofundme.com/8p-burial-of-ghanaian-mum-and-3-kids

Source : http://ghdiaspora.com/2016/12/09/fire-kills-a-ghanaian-mother-and-three-children-in-finland/

Aminata Baldeh, one of The Gambia's finest female singer, has passed away. Sources report that her sudden death occured on thursday, March, 9th, 2017. 
The Swedish born Gambian singer has done a lot of collaboration songs with top Gambian musicians including Gibou Bala Gaye, Vypa Skinny Boy fly and many others. She is one of the few female artists who actually released their own album. A true Gambian pride indeed.

Early Thursday, March 9th, 2017, social media was saturated with messages of condolences for Aminata's family. Cause of death is yet to be released. According to Jatou Mbowe, a.k.a ThaBoss chick, she saw Aminata 2 days ago from March 9th, 2017 on a facebook status update.Aminatah Baldeh is a Swedish singer with a Gambian father. She was about 28yrs of age. She sang mostly R&B. Check out her video below.
Our condolences goto the Baldeh family and the entire Gambian community in Germany, Sweden, and all over the world. May her soul rest in perfect peace.