That African Girl [Aquela Rapariga Africana, en] é um blogue com uma série de posts escritos por africanos à volta do mundo sobre as suas infâncias. É um blogue sobre crescer no seio de uma família africana e sobre o aprendizado de viver em dois mundos. Os blogueiros que partilham as suas experiências viveram ambos em África e no Ocidente.

O blogue foi iniciado por Makafui Fiavi e Adey Teshome. Makafui nasceu no Togo e cresceu nos Estados Unidos e Adey é uma jovem etíope-americana.

Esta é a introdução feita por Makafui:

During the college years, many people take the time to better understand themselves and their place in the world. Most people do it by trying out different identities, or exploring different social circles and ideologies. For me, the 4 years brought an exploration of my various sub-identities and a strong desire to learn how to live between 2 worlds. Born and raised in Togo and growing up in the United States has given me the desire to explore and understand various cultures, to listen to stories and to learn about what brings people together. That African Girl (TAG) is the culmination of ideas, conversations and a desire to continue learning and sharing. Here’s where I share about things, people, places, stories, dreams and passions that inspire me.

Adey Teshome considera o blogue “um lugar culturalmente híbrido, com múltiplos interesses, em que crianças ecléticas como nós podem dar vazão aos pensamentos”.

When I first agreed to contribute to this blog, I was super-inspired by Mak’s idea–a place for the cultural hybrid, multi-interest, eclectic children such as ourselves to air our thoughts. And as I like to say, this is why we’re friends. She has such an eye for self-expression and such cool views to share. And I loved the thought of being part of that. So that’s who I’ll try to be for this blog– a young Ethiopian-American, recent (well, in the works) college grad, trying to figure out my place and get my grounding in life, who can put in her two cents every now and then.

Liz A. voluntária do Uganda/Quénia a viver nos Estados Unidos. São estas as suas memórias de infância:

1) Being beaten as punishment. I always found it interesting when my White or Asian friends would talk about being told to sit in a corner, or were sent to their room as a form of punishment. For us, we were beaten. My mum would usually get very thin branches that had fallen off the trees in our compound and my dad would get the thick ones, sometimes we would be sent to get them ourselves, and we would be given a few lashes on the calves of our legs.

In America, it seems that such a thing can result in social services being called in to review the situation or children here feel some sort of resentment towards their parents for it.