Until the Lions Can Tell Their Stories, Tales of Hunting Will Always Glorify the Hunter

African Expectations by Mafoya Dossoumon

Mafoya Dossoumon

(WASHINGTON DC) - If you are looking for fresh new ideas from an emerging energetic leader look no further than African Expectations by Mafoya Dossoumon.

Mr. Dossoumon describes his book, “African Expectations” as a collection of essays about how political, economic, and socio-cultural issues hinder Africa’s development and how the most important factor for this failure is the lack of good leadership. The book offers tentative solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our times based on the author’s worldview and life experiences.

The author was born and raised in Benin via France and moved to Ghana when he was in his teens. He worked as an Information Communication Technology Specialist at IFDC Ghana. He has also been the Web Editor for MISTOWA - a USAID funded agribusiness project to increase agricultural trade and food security in West Africa. He has a BA from the University of Sunderland and an MPA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and he lives in the United States.

Mr. Dossoumon provides examples of many different countries in Africa and highlights their successes and failures and offers solutions on how these challenges could be overcome. He discusses politics, religion, humanitarian issues and cultural history. The book is aimed at the young and energetic leaders who want to better their countries in a profound way while also honoring the older generations for their accomplishments and dedication to raising the youth with values that will honor the traditions of each country.

The book is written in a way that very personal to the author and also makes the reader want to take action while respecting the rich cultural heritage that Africa has to offer her children. He emphasizes the need for Africans to tell their own stories through books and any other platform that will enhance the future generations to come. This book is also a great place to start for anyone looking to learn more about Africa from a true African who has much passion for his homeland.

This writer asked the author what inspired him to write this particular book and he responded by saying, “Well, 3 things inspired me to write the book. So really the book came about as a result of these three things":

1. I had a lot to say about how African leaders are failing Africans
2. - When I came to the United States 3 years ago for graduate studies, I realized that a lot of people spoke for Africans and that there were not enough African voices contributing to the discourse on Africa. So I was inspired to add my voice. I felt I had a duty to do that.
3. - I started writing the book after my father passed as a way to deal with the loss.

He full develops his ideas in a formal and cohesive way of writing that provides clarity of ideas with cohesiveness throughout the entire book. As I read the book I found that I did not want to put it down and I found the authors ideas very plausible with the right leaders and organizations.

As a journalist I have covered Central Africa, particularly Rwanda, for many years and I did have some personal challenges with his coverage of this region. Yet, as with all African countries the complex history creates differing opinions about leadership and development through the years.

The author did make the popular statement that Rwanda could become the Singapore of Central Africa when the circumstances are quite the opposite in the country and his historical context of the 1994 genocide comes much from the Western narrative of what happened despite the overwhelming literature to the contrary.

African Expectations certainly achieved its goal set out in the introduction of inspiring the youth to lead the country into the future while respecting the past.

Mafoya Dossoumon stated, “This is my first book ever and I plan to write more.” I look forward to his future endeavors.