A lot of people living in Europe, North and South America, Asia, The Middle East and The Oceanic countries that have no first-hand experience with Africa rely on international headlines from news agencies to get a glimpse of what happens in Africa. Truthfully speaking, most international news agencies across the globe paint Africa in a bad light. They only decide to depict Africa as the “dark continent” that is backward and uncouth. They do the African continent a great injustice by deciding to be biased in their articles, magnifying the problems the African countries do have.

I will not deny that Africa has its share of issues and problems it needs to tackle, ranging from poverty, droughts and famines, poor governance and corruption, and political instability just to name a few. That is the side that is all too familiar with the world; however, I strongly believe that there is a lot that Africa has to offer. This is the lesser-known side of the great African continent.

It is likely that Africa will not be the first study abroad destination in mind when exploring your options, but it is an option worth considering if you are looking for a non-traditional and unique adventure, an experience that is rich in culture, traditions and way of living. Africans are naturally welcoming, friendly and always excited when they see people of different color in their midst. This reminds me of my early childhood. I grew up in a rural part of Africa and when I was in kindergarten, once in a while we used to encounter a ‘mzungu,’ (Swahili for white person) on our way back home from school. We would get so excited and start chasing after them while trying to utter the few English greetings and words we could recall from class, hoping just to get a response from them. It was a competition with other schoolmates to see whose greetings would be answered by the ‘mzungu’. The person who managed to get a response from the ‘mzungu’ was considered the winner and would have the bragging rights all the way home. My guess is that this story is the same across the African continent.

The story clearly illustrates the nature of the African people. Like I mentioned earlier, and let me repeat my words for further emphasis, Africans are naturally welcoming, friendly and always excited when they see people of different color in their midst. With that said, I will not guarantee that you will find a western style of life and housing but what you will find is different, tasty cuisine, great outdoor activities and a warm climate. Rarely will you find a house with AC but the temperatures are usually pleasant throughout the year..

There are uncountable ways to enjoy activities outdoors. People visit East Africa and Kenya in particular, from all over the world, just to watch the great wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara Game reserve. The wildebeest migrate annually from the vast Savannah in Kenya and into Serengeti, Tanzania.

And did you know that there’s only one male of the white rhino left in the world? The white rhinos are a highly endangered species with a total of only 4 remaining in the entire world. This statistic is attributed to the fact that there have been massive cases of poaching of the white rhinos all over the world for harvesting of their horns. It is widely believed in Asia that their horns have medicinal value and that they can cure some diseases. Facts indicate that Asia is traditionally the largest market for such animal “trophies” of poached animals. An interesting fact is that the white rhinos are not really ‘white’ at all, but they got their name from the early English-speaking settlers in South Africa. They were called ‘wijd’ rhinos back then, and the Europeans thought they were hearing ‘white’, and so the name stuck.

Now on a more positive note, the only remaining male white rhino is usually guarded 24/7 by not one or two, but three armed guards to ensure that poachers are kept at bay as it freely roams and grazes in the Ol Pajeta conservancy.

Another reason to choose Africa as a study abroad destination is the fact that Africa has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The big multinational companies can no longer ignore this fact and they are ‘scrambling’ to penetrate new market shares in Africa. Examples include brands like KFC and Subway, Nestle, Burger King, and Google; the list is endless. Car manufacturers Porsche and BMW also have set up shop in Africa after realizing that there are emerging markets for their vehicles. Banking institutions have not been left behind either. The Bank of India, Bank of America, JP Morgan, Barclays, Zenith Bank, and so many more have opened up offices in Africa in recent years.

The number of airlines that are operating in Africa is increasing each day. New routes and more direct flights to Africa are opening up on a daily basis. KLM, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Cathay Pacific, and so many more have flights to Africa and their network of the African cities in which they operate is expanding.

Africa is the next big thing for investors according to a Reuters report on February 13, 2014. Africa has also been likened to be the ‘Next China,’ implying that Africa’s economy is set to grow at breakneck speed in the coming years. It is among the worlds leading markets to watch out for.

There are also beautiful coastal beaches in Africa just like in S. America. The vast stretches of beach have warm waters year round, great boardwalks and a lovely climate for sun bathing. At the shores you can enjoy relaxing walks as you catch a glimpse of the spectacular sunrise early in the morning or sunset late in the evening.

With all that said, I hope that you have learnt a few Swahili words and that you will now at least consider traveling to Africa sometime during your lifetime, or more importantly, choosing it as your next study abroad destination.

Karibu Afrika! (Welcome to Africa!)

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Justus Maina loves traveling. He believes in the philosophy, “The world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page,” by Augustine of Hippo. He has just completed his undergraduate degree in Economics and Statistics at The University of Nairobi, Kenya. So far he has visited 4 countries, all in Africa, and is looking forward to taking his adventures outside his home continent in the near future. He loves being immersed in different cultures and customs -and having fun while at it. He also loves volunteering and believes it is a way of changing the world one step at a time. [/accordion_tab]