Lesson 4: Africa Since Independence (The Postwar World)

✊ Social Struggles in South Africa

In South Africa, life was unfair for many years. A system called apartheid kept Black people and white people apart. ⚠️

Black people couldn’t vote, go to the same schools, or even live in the same areas. 🚫

One brave man, Nelson Mandela, said, “This is wrong!” He went to jail for 27 years. But in 1994, he was released and became the first Black president of South Africa! 🎉

Story Time: When Mandela walked out of prison, people sang and danced in the streets. He forgave his enemies and said, “Let us build a rainbow nation.” 🌈

🏛️ Political Challenges in Africa

⚔️ Military Dictatorships

After independence, some African leaders said, “We will fix things!” But instead of helping, some used the army to take power. They became military dictators. 😟

Fun Fact: In some countries, soldiers ruled with guns instead of votes. Some leaders stayed for 30 or 40 years!

🧬 Ethnic Conflict and Civil War

Africa has many different groups of people. But sometimes these groups fought each other. In places like Rwanda, this became very violent.

In 1994, over 800,000 people died in Rwanda in just 100 days. 😢

Story Time: One hotel manager in Rwanda hid over 1,000 people in his hotel during the war. He said, “I had no gun—only my words.” His story became a famous movie: Hotel Rwanda.

🗳️ Democracy in Africa

But many African countries are now choosing their leaders in free elections. 🌍

Countries like Ghana, Botswana, and Senegal have growing democracies. People stand in long lines to vote. 🗳️

Fun Fact: In Liberia, a woman named Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the first female president in Africa in 2006! 👩🏾‍⚖️

💵 Economy and Environment

📉 Struggling and Booming Economies

Some African countries are poor. War, corruption, and bad farming hurt their economies.

But others are growing fast! Countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia are full of new ideas, businesses, and young people. 📈

Story Time: A young man in Kenya made a phone app so people without banks could still send money. Today, millions use it! It’s called M-Pesa.

🌳 Environmental Challenges

Africa is beautiful—but the land is in danger.

In the Sahel, near the Sahara Desert, the land is turning to dust. Farmers lose their crops. 🌾

In the Congo rainforest, trees are being cut down fast. This can hurt animals and the air we all breathe. 🐘🌲

🎨 African Culture

Africa is full of music, art, languages, and stories! 🪘🎶

From hip-hop in Senegal to dances in South Africa, from colorful cloth in Ghana to traditional masks in Nigeria, Africa mixes the old and the new.

Story Time: In Mali, a blind man named Ali Farka Touré played music on a simple guitar. His songs were so powerful that he won a Grammy Award! 🌟

Africa is not just one story. It’s 54 countries, thousands of cultures, and millions of dreams.