Hi, my name is Rachel and I will be your tour guide for tonight.

Throughout the night we will be visiting 8 different stations in which you will have the opportunity to experience and learn about Africa's culture, its devastating past, and the different ways in which the nonprot organization Innovation: Africa is helping to secure the continents future. !

Little Bee: In the beginning of the year, we read the novel Little Bee by Chris Cleave in our English classes. At this station, you will learn about Little Bee, an African refugee who ees her country because of the Nigerian oil crisis. A little background in this: for decades, foreign oil companies such as Shell and Chevron have been sucking oil from the region with no regulatory oversight, shamelessly fouling the rivers and jungles upon which local people depend. Unfortunately this process of obtaining oil was often coupled with violence. !

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Cell Phone Charging: Next up is the cell phone charging station. Many Africans even those in rural villages have cell phones; however, they have no way to charge the phones. At this station you will learn about how Innovation: Africa is helping to bring self sustaining technology to Africa. ! Imperialism: Now we will go to the imperialism station. Last month, Dr Stein taught all the history classes a lesson on imperialism. When the European countries settled portions of Africa, they disrupted the normal ow of commerce and imposed their standards upon the native populations. Imperialism had many long-term effects on the African continent, including apartheid and internal wars. ! Gerry Can: Next up is the gerry can station. Many women in African villages have to walk an average of 6 miles a day to retrieve water for their families. At this station you will be able to get a glimpse into the everyday lives of African women and children. ! Slave Trade: The next exhibit we are going to is slave trade. After being captured by European powers, Africans were herded onto cramped ships, where sickness was rampant, and food was scarce. There was a yearly average of about 74,000 slaves imported to the American colonies. ! Africa at Night: Next we will be going to Africa at night. Much of the African continent lacks electricity, causing their days to end when the sun goes down. At this station you will participate in an obstacle course which will show the difculties that Africans face when it becomes dark. ! Drip Irrigation: Africa is a rather arid continent. As we discussed a few stations back, families often have to travel for hours on foot to reach the nearest water source. One of the things Innovation: Africa does to help the African people is to set up drip irrigation systems to supply plants with water. ! Gift Shop: Fundraising: Over the last few weeks, each English class has worked to reach a goal of raising $500. The money raised will be used take light a school in Africa- meaning the money will pay for the lightbulbs and electricity for a school, so that students, who often go to school at night will be able to see. The store that we are approaching is selling African inspired artwork and products, whose prots will all go towards Innovation; Africa, to help light a school.