In Their Own Voices: Conversations with Emerging African Leaders

Kristina Bekenova presents a collection of interviews with fifteen emerging African leaders, musicians, poets, artists, doctors, environmentalists, defenders of animal rights, and tour operators, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Nigeria, Malawi, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe. These interviews are an important, effective, and efficient way to make Africa’s authentic voices heard. The interviewees explain what Africa needs most, what they are doing about it, what vision for Africa they have, and how they think their ideas can be implemented. They share genuine African bottom-up perspectives, voice their understanding of African natural and cultural issues, identify Africa’s true needs, and formulate recommendations from an original African perspective. This book presents a unique opportunity to hear their opinion, to learn from Africa, and to understand what the continent needs as it makes progress along its developmental path.