Myth # 1 Africa is one large country.
This is one of the most common misconceptions and it's far from the truth. Africa is the world’s
second largest continent after Asia and is comprised of fifty-four incredibly
unique countries. There is not one homogeneous culture that spans across these
countries, as many seem to think when they conjure up images of Africans
wearing face paint and animal-printed clothing. Each country has its own rich
cultures, languages, food, etc. and it is more common than not for there to be
several different ethnic groups and languages within a country’s borders.
Landscapes are also extremely diverse, and depending on where you go you can witness
beautiful settings ranging from desert to rainforest to grasslands. Africa has
it all!
Myth #2 All Africans live in poverty.
A lot of people think all Africans
are destitute and live in tiny huts. As in every place across the globe, there
are people living at different economic levels, and it is likely you will come
in contact with people on both sides of the spectrum, depending on where you
go. Africa is also home to many cities and urban areas as well. In my
experience living in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, I was blown away by the
beauty and cleanliness of the city, in addition to the abundance of resources
for tourists. It is common to believe that you will be completely cut off from
the rest of the world once you get to Africa, but that is simply not true! I
was able to keep in touch with my family and friends throughout the whole
semester by using an internet modem, Wi-Fi, and the cell phone that I bought
upon arrival.
Myth #3 Africa is too foreign to visit.
Many people are deterred from visiting African countries
because it seems as though the people and places within the continent are too
“foreign” for perhaps what you are comfortable with. No matter where go in the
world, you are sure to encounter cultural differences. However, one of the
beautiful things about traveling to new places is not only embracing these
differences, but also having the opportunity to discover similarities that you
may not have expected to find. Every cultural exchange is first a human
exchange, and you are bound to meet people who have personal traits and
preferences that align with your own. During each of my experiences abroad I
was able to connect with people on many different levels and even forge
friendships that I know will last a lifetime.
These are just a few of the common misconceptions people
have about a continent that is much too large and diverse to generalize. The
best thing to do is to go and see for yourself how magnificent these places
are, you will definitely not regret it!
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| My study abroad group celebrating our friend Feston’s birthday with his friends and family in Kigali, Rwanda |
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| My roommate and I taking over the drums at the goat races in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
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Taking a boat excursion down the Nile River. We got to see
elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and waterfalls!
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Our picnic spot in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania
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| Standing in front of our house (not a mud hut) in Kigali, Rwanda |
Emma is
a senior at the University
of Arkansas, double majoring in Cultural Anthropology and International
Relations and double minoring in French and African/African American
Studies. She started her travel by spending a summer taking anthropology
classes with U of A faculty
in Tanzania, followed by another summer learning more about the
Holocaust in Prague and capped it off with a spring semester in Rwanda,
focusing on peace-building.
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Use our search to look for programs in Tanzania, Rwanda and over 40 other countries: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
