Angolan Food: Desserts. Yum!

For the most part, dessert is not a part of the traditional Angolan meal. Most Angolan desserts consist of simple fruits, but there are also western-like puddings like Cocada amarela, which was inspired by the Portuguese cuisine; since Angola was previously ruled as a Portuguese colony, some of its food and cuisine owe much to the culture of Portugal.

Cocada amarela (yellow coconut) is the best known Angolan dessert and its main ingredients are: sugar, water, whole cloves, coconut, egg yolks and ground excellence.  The yellow color is derived from the abundance of egg yolks in the recipe. There are several recipes for this dish, but the differences between them are represented mainly by the cooking technique. Since Cocada amarela is a very sweet and heavy dessert, it is best served in small portions.  ENJOY!

Cocada Amarela

Ingredients
2 cups Sugar
4 whole cloves
12 egg yolks
6 cups water
4 cups grated coconut
ground cinnamon

Directions
Combine the Sugar, cloves and water in a 4 to 5 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling and stir
constantly until syrup reaches 230°F on a candy thermometer. Reduce heat to low, take out cloves and add coconut. Mix thoroughly and cook 10 minutes on low heat. Take off heat.

In a deep bowl, place 12 egg yolks. Beat them with an electric mixer for one minute. Stir in 1 cup of Sugar, coconut mixture and then pour yolks into saucepan with rest of syrup. Cook at medium heat 10 minutes. Pour in 1-inch deep platter or individual dessert dishes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and refrigerate for 2 hours.
(Retrieved from http://www.cookbookwiki.com/COCADA_AMARELA)
 
I will include more Angolan dessert recipes at a future date.  One of my favorite topics!

Angola's New War: Against TB

Wednesday March 24 marked 'World Tuberculosis Day' and during the Angolan celebrations the coordinator of the National Tuberculosis Programme, Conceição Palma, suggested for the Health Ministry to integrate this sickness as its priority project, as she considers it a national emergency.

The official added that tuberculosis must be considered as a primary health issue, because it is interlinked with HIV/AIDS, deficient feeding conditions and access to medicines.  Coordinator Palma informed that in 2009 alone, 42,380 cases of TB were registered throughout the country with the significant cities of Luanda and Benguela marking more than 30 percent of all cases.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease. Like the common cold, it spreads through the air. Only people
who are sick with TB in their lungs are infectious. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or spit, they propel TB germs, known as bacilli, into the air. A person needs only to inhale a small number of these to be infected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the incidence rate of TB in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of any other region in the world, at nearly 350 cases per 100 000 population. It is estimated that 1.6 million deaths resulted from TB in 2005. Both the highest number of deaths and the highest mortality per capita are in the Africa Region.

The TB epidemic in Africa grew rapidly during the 1990s, but this growth has been slowing each year, and incidence rates now appear to have stabilized or begun to fall.

HIV and TB form a lethal combination, each speeding the other's progress. HIV weakens the immune system. Someone who is HIV-positive and infected with TB bacilli is many times more likely to become sick with TB than someone infected with TB bacilli who is HIV-negative.  At present, the WHO lists TB is a leading cause of death among people who are HIV-positive in Angola and indicates that HIV is the single most important factor contributing to the increase in incidence of TB since 1990.

The U.S. CDC, USAID and Doctors Without Borders are the main agenices working with the Angolan Ministry of Health on programs to combat TB and TB/HIV activities. In 2004, the World Bank approved a five-year, $21 million grant to the Angolan government for a multisector approach that aims to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria.

Sustainable tourism: Educational field trip for local secondary school students in Nigeria

Having read some shocking stories about Jos town in central Nigeria over the past few weeks, I would like to also bring you some positive news about the country, to counter these generalisations which give the impression of the whole of Nigeria being a violent country.

In Oyo state, in the South-West of the country, our local expert in Nigeria, Fasoranti Oluseyi Taiwo is organising an educational youth project to increase the awareness of secondary school students about the concept of sustainable tourism. This one-day field trip will involve the children in the development of the concept, by introducing them to a set tourism circuit of a historical site, on which they will be involved in workshops, talks and debates covering different aspects of sustainable tourism. They will also participate in a tree planting scheme to promote environmental awareness and conservation of the local natural heritage.

The historical site in question is the ‘Ancient Warlord Palaces of Idaban’, a location of significance for the local storytellers. It is said that Efunsetan Aniwura, the Iyalode of Ibadan, a powerful, rich and influential High Chief, lost her only child during child labour. Gripped by a terrible sense of loss and the stigma of not having a progeny to inherit her legacies, Efunsetan, who blamed God for her tragedy, vented her anger on the very society she had sworn to defend by the oath she had taken on her installation as the Iyalode of Ibadan.

She became a wicked, cruel, callous, bitter, heartless monster, dreaded by the townspeople. It took the concerted efforts of Ibadan warriors led by Latoosa to loosen her grip of terror on the city. It is a heart-rending story that keeps anyone on the edge of their seat during any theatrical performance that narrates it.

It is hoped that this field trip, by collecting the entry fees to the site and by sourcing local products for the proposed lunch, will make the students value the local natural, cultural and historical heritage as being important elements for the development of tourism and subsequently will ensure the conservation and respect for them.

This project, in association with the Oyo State Government, the Oyo State Tourism Board and various schools from different sectors (private, public and special needs) has been received positively and is being seen as a step forward towards the development and diversification of the tourism industry in a sustainable way.

We will keep you updated on the projects progress.

If you desire to know more about this project, or would like a copy of the project proposal please email us at info@westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

To learn more about West Africa and the Responsible Tourism concept, please visit our website at www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk.

You can also follow us on twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with news, photos, videos, discussions and newly listed West Africa based sustainable tourism projects.

South Africa Safari Top Five National Parks and Game Reserves

A South Africa safari is the ideal wildlife trip to go on because the infrastructure and accommodation is superb in all the wildlife parks there and it is still highly affordable in comparison to other African countries.
But given a choice some of the national parks and game reserves are better than others.

Here is a top five list ranking them according to travel reports received at the African Safari Journals website, my safari experience of twenty plus years, industry forums, magazines and the general consensus of the experts.

1. Kruger NP
The Kruger National Park has to rank as one of the best South Africa safari destinations, only slightly behind the Masai Mara and Serengeti when it comes to wildlife viewing because the vegetation in Kruger can be dense and sometimes mars the ability to see longer distances.
But the variety of animals, birds and ecosystems that you can experience here are unparalleled anywhere else in Africa and the accommodation, roads and facilities are top notch and all at a very affordable price.
It's not unusual to see lion, leopard, cheetah, a pack of wild dog, rhino, elephant, buffalo and a whole host of antelope, crocodile and hippo in the course of a single trip including a variety of insects and reptiles.
On the bird front you will be spoiled with a seemingly never-ending supply of eagles, hawks, water birds and a host of migratory and indigenous species to the tune of about 510 different varieties.
You can easily do a self drive safari here and still see a decent amount of wildlife especially if you stick to the central and southern portions of this massive park (larger than Ireland). The north has fewer animals due to dryer conditions but also less tourists which makes for a more isolated and intimate wildlife experience.
If variety is the spice of life then a South Africa safari in the Kruger National Park is a rich dish indeed.

2. Sabi Sands GR
Sharing a fenceless border on the western side of the Kruger National Park is the Sabi Sands game reserve which has a number of world famous private concessions like Mala Mala, Sabi Sabi and Londelozi.
The removal of the fence between the two parks allows the animals to move around freely and the game viewing experience is just as in the Kruger National with one important difference. Because this reserve is privately held, off road game tracking is allowed which improves your chances of finding the elusive big cats, elephant, rhino, buffalo and wild dog to a large degree. They also make use of two way radios in each safari vehicle so that if one finds something noteworthy the others can be alerted.
The sand and sabi rivers which bisect the reserve provide the focal point which attracts the wildlife to the area especially in the dry season.
So viewing the big cats on a South Africa safari here is virtually guaranteed and the accommodation is some of the best in the world as illustrated by the Singita lodge which was the first and only accommodation in the history of the Conde Nast Gold List Reader Poll to get a perfect 100 score, an honour it has held for three years. There are about thirty different top class lodges situated in the reserve.
But this all comes at a price and unless you have reasonably deep pockets this fantastic reserve will be out of reach which is why it doesn't get the Nr one ranking for South Africa safari national parks and reserves.

3. Hluhluwe Umfolozi NP
If you want to see the endangered black and white rhinos in the wild then this is the park to head for because this is where the inexorable tide to extinction for the white rhino in Southern Africa was stemmed.
It now boasts the largest population of white rhino in the world numbering over 1600 and also a slowly increasing population of black rhino at just over 400.
on a South Africa safari here you will also be able to see lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and cheetah in this park and more than 400 bird species have been recorded. Due to the large number of resident elephants you might have some close encounters with them on the roads as they cross in front of you.
You can go for a daily walk in the park in the company of an armed ranger or you can do a several day extended hike in the southern umfolozi portion.

4. Madikwe GR
This is a latter day Noah's ark story because most of the wildlife contained in this park was relocated here from other areas in 1991.
Twenty seven different species amounting to over 10 000 head of game were re-introduced into this area where they once thrived but had disappeared because of hunting and habitat destruction.
A huge advantage of taking a South Africa safari in this park is that it is not situated in a malaria area so you don't have to bother about taking malaria tablets as you do in most other reserves.
All of the big five are on view here as well as cheetah and the rare wild dog packs which are the stars of the show here being regularly sighted patrolling their huge territories. Your chances of seeing them seem to be better here than most other parks.
Rare antelope like the eland, gemsbok and sable put in an appearance here too and you will be able to enjoy your wildlife viewing in relative peace and isolation because not many tourists know about this excellent game reserve.

5. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The locals know that this is an excellent game park and it falls into that "best kept secret" category that each country seems to have where for some unknown reason a reserve doesn't get the notice from tourists and safari companies that it deserves.
Maybe it's because this reserve is set in the Kalahari desert and people don't normally associate deserts with lots of wildlife but there are always exceptions to the rule and this South Africa safari park qualifies.
You can see some pretty specialised and very interesting game here such as the gemsbok antelope which can go for months without water, springbok, blue wildebeest, eland and red hartebeest.
And wherever there is a good supply of antelope, the predators are never far away such as the black maned lions which this area has a disproportionate supply off, leopard and cheetah which can make full use of the wide open spaces to chase their prey at top speed.
The meerkat (suricate) is also regularly seen here and bat eared foxes contribute to the scavenging duties.
This South Africa park is famous for birds of prey such as the pygmy falcon and the sociable weaver which builds nests which are the bird equivalent of apartment blocks that are sometimes so big they break the branches they rest on.

There are hundreds of companies offering safari trips to South Africa. This Top Three safari in South Africa operators list helps you choose effectively between them.
South Africa safari trip reports give you a great idea of what to expect from a trip like this by learning from other peoples travel experiences.

Angola: The New Detroit?

Angola so far does not have any car producing industry, as contrasted to the major vehicle producer South Africa.  Major investing countries such as China and Germany are seeking to take advantage of the new resurgence in the country as well as the centralized oil wealth in Angola's capital, Luanda.

CSG Automovel-Angola, a new venture, is set to begin producing cars in October at a new factory in Viana, on the outskirts of Angola’s capital, Luanda. Using technology from Nissan, the plant will make passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs. Expected to produce some 5,000 units in its first year, it should reach its full capacity of 30,000 within a few years.  Funded also entirely by the China International Fund, the plant will employ some 680 people, with 510 of the jobs reserved for Angolan citizens, an unusually high percentage for a Chinese project in Africa.

Volkswagen and its Angolan partner ANCAR have announced that they are to build an assembly plant in the
outskirts of Angola's capital, Luanda. ANCAR will invest US$ 48 million to build an assembly line for the production of VW and Škoda model vehicles, a central parts store, a training centre and an Angola-wide dealer network.
 
Currently Angola imports over 100,000 vehicles each year, including used cars, according to Volkswagen officials.   With an anticipated, combined production of over 50,000 vehicles in the next few years, the total output would equal more than two vehicles for every mile of paved road in the country. Plans are obviously developed to export vehicles to other countries in Southern Africa.
 
Seeing that over 70% of the Angola population still lives on less than $2 per day, the products of this new industry will be out the reach of the vast majoriy of Angolans.  (Info from Koios Associates, Emerging Markets Outlook)

Ovimbundu Wisdom No. 3

More Ovimbundu wisdom.  Enjoy!

Proverb: Ukwenje Wang Kayula-Yula

Literal Translation:  My partner never gets wet.

Formal Meaning:  "What is the thing which has the shape of a person and never gets wet?  It is the shadow" (Ocilelembia or ocimbelembe).  Some external things cannot affect us.

A journey through the Kingdom of Ife

When German archaeologist Leo Frobenius first discovered beautiful terracotta sculptures and copper cast head pieces in Nigeria in 1910, he proclaimed that he had discovered Plato’s lost city of Atlantis. European attitudes were so negative to African abilities that he reasoned that the artworks must be the work of foreign settlers, inconceivable to be created by African hands.

Eventually as more works surfaced through further discoveries, explorers began to change their attitudes. The Western world was amazed by their level of detail and quality, so much so in fact that when the exhibition was first opened to the public in the British Museum back in 1948 the London News praised the artworks as "Mysterious Ife Bronze Heads: African art worthy to rank with the finest works of Italy and Greece." Having visited the Kingdom of Ife exhibition at the British Museum last weekend I would have to agree!

This collection has been two years in the making with collaboration between the British Museum, the Museum for African Art, and the Fundación Marcelino Botín in Santander, Spain, and all made possible by Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments. It is the first time many of these works have been seen outside Nigeria, and most of the near one hundred objects are on loan from museums in Lagos and Ife. Before shipping the artefacts to London, the British Museum sent a team to Nigeria to train local museum staff in packing objects for loans, installing exhibitions and conservation.

The large range of artefacts on display is breath-taking and the collection shows the complexity and mystery of the Kingdom of Ife, a rich and powerful West African city-state in what is now south-west Nigeria.

The origins of Ife can be traced back to 800AD, the heartland of the Yoruba people and grew due to trade links in the 12^th to 15^th century. The kingdom fell into decline when other city states like Benin emerged. The artworks give an amazing cross section of Ife society; including royalty, slaves, warriors and the sick. Many of the masks have facial markings created by facial striations or in some cases the mask had raised welts created using blister beetles. Cantharidin from these beetles is a poisonous chemical causing blistering of the skin, a practice so painful that it had to be abandoned. Another sculpture that really stood out was that of a man suffering from testicle elephantiasis who had probably travelled to Ife to be cured.

However, the sculptures that are most likely to capture the imagination of the visiting public are the magnificent copper heads that depict Ife royalty. Many of these heads were worn in ceremonies even though some of them weigh up to 9kg! The process used to create the copper and brass sculpture is called lost-wax. Check out this video to see how it’s done, an amazing and skilful technique.

The £8 entry fee was worth every penny and I would recommend the exhibition to anyone. This is another example of a renewed interest in West African culture as outlined in Thomas’ previous blog. I for one cannot wait for the summer in the UK and the festival listings that are sure to feature many great West African musicians.

Kingdom of Ife is at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, until June 6^th.

Angola: An Emerging Haven for 'Birders'

For almost thirty years, because of the safety aspects of the civil war, Angola's highly sought after endemic birds like the Red Crested Turaco pictured above were beyond safe reach to all bird watchers.   Now, with the advent of safety and freedom of travel in the country, 'birders' or ornithologists can see the wealth of over 170 bird species which inhabit the country of Angola.  

Birders can view rarely seen birds such as Swierstra’s Spurfowl, Gabela Helmetshrike, Gabela Bushshrike, White-headed Robin-Chat, Angola Cave Chat, Pulitzer’s Longbill or Gabela Akalat. (To be honest, this is not my area of expertise, so I guess these are gold-mine sightings for the most serious birders!)  Here, I will try to show just a few of the beautiful, unusual and rare bird species of the country.

White-Fronted Wattle Eye

Black-Bellied Buzzard

Yellow-Billed Hornbill

Angola Cave Chat




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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A Tribute to the Nigerian Mother… near and far by Iyaniwura Adewunmi

The Nigerian Mother….

She nurtures you from birth, watching your every step.
Your pain becomes hers.
She sacrifices her time, listening attentively to your every worry
Her words act as a comfort blanket with whispers of understanding
Carefully placed words are laced with trickles of wisdom
She breaks down barriers with unconditional love
You want to give up, but she breaks your fall
You’re discouraged but she stands you up ‘TALL’

‘My Mum is the fireplace of my family: The key focal point, constantly providing support, warmth, continuous love and understanding’ Ejiro.

The Nigerian Mother…

There is no Substitute.
She loves you regardless, she disciplines you regardless.
She understands what you can’t or won’t say, slowly piercing your thoughts

You have an opinion; she tells you hard facts.

Her expressions speak volumes:
She smiles, you giggle. She frowns, and you know you’ve been warned…
She nags you, because she can. It’s called ‘Discipline 101’
She is 90% right ALL THE TIME. And you are lucky with the other 10%.

You say ‘I am an adult’! She smiles sheepishly and you catch the twinkle in her eye. At that moment you know you will always be her child.

By Iyaniwura (which translates to ‘Mother is Gold’ in the Nigerian Language of Yoruba)

Luanda Video; A Look at Angola's Promising Capital

A missionary friend has directed me to a new, vivid and exciting video about the city of Luanda, the capital of Angola.  Funded and produced by the Angolan Government, this video has a good overview of the country's past history and promotes the progress of the city.  Though the video highlights Luanda's promising future, there are still vast healthcare, infrastructure, social and spiritual needs in the remote south and southeastern parts of the country.  View the video here on this website.  Enjoy!

Angola's Golden Sport

Though football (soccer) is listed as the 'national sport' of Angola and most all of the continent of Africa, basketball is more popular in Angola and the country is far better known for its basketball credentials than its football credentials.

Currently ranking 12th in the world, Angola is Africa's top basketball team having won eight of the last nine Africa Basketball Championships. The Angolan team recently sealed their reputation as a basketball powerhouse in the 2009 Africa Nations Basketball Championships, capturing their sixth straight Afrobasket gold medal, and their tenth in the last eleven tournaments.  This is a fantastic record, but it is more outstanding because several of these previous triumphs came when the country was embroiled in its civil war. 

The national team has consistently maintained a high global ranking to earn an invitation to the last five summer Olympic Games.  Their Olympic ranking during these last five Games ranges between 10th to 12th.

Angolan Agriculture: On the Rebound

Eight years after the end of a 27 year civil war, Angola' agriculture is slowly rebounding.  This is a marked turnaround from the decimation that this sector experienced during the war, given the potential of the rich and fertile land that Angola possesses.

Before independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola had a flourishing tradition of family-based farming and was self-sufficient in all major food crops; Angola was the world's fourth largest exporter of coffee; a competitive exporter of sugarcane, bananas, palm oil and sisal; and self-sufficient in all crops but wheat. But leading up to political changes in 1975, poor global market prices and lack of investment began to severely limit the sector after independence.

The Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), the consequent deterioration of the rural economy and neglect of the farming sector dealt the devastating blow to the country’s agricultural productivity. During the civil war, most small-scale farmers reverted to subsistence farming.  Angola has been dependent on commercial imports since 1977 and was heavily dependent up to the end of the war.  By the 1990s Angola was producing less than 1 per cent of the volume of coffee it had produced in the early 1970s, while production of cotton, tobacco and sugar cane had ceased almost entirely.

The war reduced the nation from being one of the largest food exporters on the continent to being a major recipient of global food assistance. For 30 years, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) conducted massive food aid assistance programs to feed the struggling population.  Even now, as the

agriculture sector rebounds, malnutrition remains a problem. Malnutrition is alarmingly high in the remote areas among the young, with almost one third of children underweight and almost one in two children under age five stunted.

Though there is a marked return to agricultural productivity in rural areas, the advances are proving difficult and slow. Large areas remain uncultivable because of the presence of landmines. Functioning infrastructure in rural areas is limited, and there are few incentives for people to return to farming. After the war, from 2003 to 2004 only 2.9 million hectares (5%) of the available 57 million hectares of arable agricultural land was cultivated.

The increasing popularity of West Africa

Four years ago I embarked on a life-changing journey to Senegal, to live and study there. I remember before leaving that none of my friends or family in the UK could tell me the location of one of West Africa’s 16 countries, let alone tell me the name of one of its hundreds of tribes, or tell me about the climate in a particular region. Nor had they ever heard of Amadou & Mariam, Tinariwen or Ali Farka Toure, now big names in most of the major European summer music festivals.

Thanks to increased media coverage such as articles in the Guardian and the Independant, covering a range of topics from politics to travel and music coming out of West Africa reaching out to the millions at big UK festivals. Documentaries on the National Geographic and Discovery channels introducing us to different tribal systems and natural wonders and various exhibitions displaying the region’s rich cultural heritage. West Africa is coming out of the ‘black hole’ – as someone described the region to me at last year’s WTM Trade Show - to become a region of the world that inspires, intrigues, mystifies and excites the Western cultural scene.

Why is it only now that we are really discovering a region of the world which is only five hours away by plane? What has made the eyes of the West’s popular culture scene turn towards the likes of Senegal and Sierra Leone, Mali and Cameroon?

West Africa has been off the media map in terms of positive stories for a long time - the only stories that had come out of the region were tales of bloody civil wars, gold and diamond mining, corrupt leaders, disease and famine - but now that is changing; and we are learning a lot more about the deeper aspects of the rich heritage of West Africa.

Musically, West Africa produces some of the most talented acts in/on the so-called ‘World Music’ scene and has included some of the most famous musicians to come out of Africa. Festival organisers such as Glastonbury Festival and WOMAD are now queuing up to get the likes of Tinariwen (Mali), Ismael Lo (Senegal), Baka Beyond (Cameroon) and the Sierra Leone Refugee all stars, booked for the main stages. But also small events such as the Fringe festival in Brighton display musical and dancing acts from West Africa in their Africa Unite II event this year.

Culturally, there are many documentaries being shown on TV which have introduced us to the different tribes of West Africa. The Ashanti from Ghana, the Igbo from Nigeria and the Dogon from Mali are the most well known of them, and have sparked curiosity and stimulated the hearts and minds of those who have watched these programs. Maybe this is because we lack the social values that they have, we are seeking to re-learn something lost or because we find that our lives of too much work and no play need some sort of escape route.

Proof of the ever increasing popularity of West Africa’s traditional cultures is demonstrated by the 'Kingdom of Ife' exhibition (which we will cover in next week’s blog) now showing at the British museum and is already being hailed as ‘Potentially the exhibition of the year’ by the Telegraph newspaper.

Sport is also a big influence on popular interests. Football, for example, has a lot of role models within the most supported teams in the UK who come from West Africa or have an affiliation with the region. Didier Drogba who hails from Côte d’Ivoire and plays for Chelsea is an example and is well known for his skills on the pitch; however it has also come to light that he is a big charity supporter having donated millions to build and sustain hospitals in his home country.

Another player who has created a media buzz about West Africa is Craig Bellamy (Man City) whose foundation has contributed towards setting up sports academies in Sierra Leone.

West Africa’s natural heritage has also come to our TV sets through programmes such as the BBC’s Autumn Watch which has covered Senegal, showing that West Africa has been on the migration path of many species of birds for millennia.

In terms of Tourism, the Guardian and Times travel sections have regularly published articles describing West Africa as an alternate, exciting and new destination for travellers seeking new experiences full of educational opportunities, coupled with sea, sun and beaches (see our previous blog on the potential for West Africa as a Responsible Tourism destination). It also seems as though tourism to the geographical region of West Africa is set to increase. The latest Brussels Airlines' news stating that the airline is now flying directly to Ghana, Benin, Togo and Burkina-Faso from European destinations can only be a sign that the shores of West Africa are worthwhile touristic destinations to fly to.

All the above factors have contributed to the UK’s increasing interest in West Africa and that interest is only set to grow even stronger because of the sheer diversity of cultural, natural and historical heritage still to be discovered.

But instead of waiting for more news, start your own discovery by visiting our web portal (www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk) , joining us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. We look forward to welcoming you!

African Folklore: Why Does the Lion Roar?

According to African folklore, the Lion became the most feared of the predators. In these early days, Lion still had a gentle voice, not very loud at all, and so he was able to catch and eat the other animals without much trouble.

This, of course, greatly worried the other animals, since they never knew when Lion was on the hunt. They decided to hold a meeting to find a way of somehow making Lion less dangerous. They talked for a long time, but none of them could think of anything.

Hare, always the imaginative one, then had a bright idea. "I know a way that would make Lion's voice like the terrible thunder of a summer's storm;' he said, "and then we would always know when he was coming:'

The other animals all agreed that this was a marvelous idea. But how was Hare going to manage such a thing? Hare just winked and set off on his difficult task.
Eventually Hare found Lion resting beneath a shady umbrella tree, and approaching him carefully,saying, "O Great One, I am truly most unhappy to bring you bad news, but your brother is very ill, and requests to see you at once:' Lion was dreadfully upset to hear this news and told Hare to lead him to his brother as fast as possible.
 
Hare took lion for miles and miles around the Bushveld and after several hours lion (who, after all, had been disturbed during his morning sleep) was so weary he could go no further, He lay down in a shady spot and slept.

Now,with the help of a honeyguide bird, the crafty Hare found a wild bees' nest in a tree not too far away. After following the required custom of leaving a good piece of the honeycomb as a "thank-you" for the little bird, Hare took some of the honey and dribbled it all over the paws and head of the sleeping lion. Hare then ran off to some thick bushes nearby and hid.

When the bees returned home and saw that someone had raided their hive, they were terribly angry. They soon found lion sleeping nearby, with honey all over his paws. In a raging swarm, the bees attacked him, and
lion was stung so many times and was in such pain that his soft cries soon swelled to a thunderous roar that could be heard for miles around!

That is the story of how lion's voice was changed forever. The animals were very grateful to Hare because, from then on, they could hear lion's roar from a long way away,and be warned that the Kingof Beasts was on
the hunt.  (From: When the Hippo was Hairy and Other tales from Africa; Nick Greaves.)