Afrigadget (http://www.afrigadget.com)

common sense media says

Glimpse of African ingenuity offers kids a new perspective.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Afrigadget teaches kids about Africa in a positive way -- as opposed to the war, famine, and tragedy news they can get from the newspaper or on the Internet. The site is updated regularly, so you never know what will turn up. Serious topics -- like a lack of ambulance service in Zimbabwe -- are handled deftly and matter-of-factly in easily digestible pieces. There is always a positive swing to the news, which makes readers want to come back.

Educational value: Kids learn about African culture as it is right this minute, from people who are living and working there. They can also learn about how to turn objects into new, usable items, like the project that involves putting together bags (parts provided by the
US messenger bag company Timbuk2) that feature a solar panel, the idea
being that in places without electricity, it can be very handy to have
enough juice to run a flashlight, or a radio. 
Positive messages: The site sends the message that Africa abounds in creative social and environmental projects. It also teaches kids to look at objects (especially trash) in creative ways so they can be re-used or turned into something else.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Afrigadget

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • What impressions did you have about Africa before you visited the site and after? How did the site change your mind?
  • Afrigadget is big on the creative use of existing objects. How can we use items we might otherwise throw away?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Africa and its people are too big a topic to be summed up on a single Web site, but the six Afrigadget blog contributors manage it to a large degree. They find small, interesting projects from all over the continent that underscore the creativity, ingenuity, and self-sufficiency of Africans. For instance, in Zimbabwe, there is a company called ZamBikes that retrofits trailers for bicycles. Since there are few cars in the rural areas, these trailers are used as transportation for goods and people -- even as ambulances.

Without Afrigadget, these stories wouldn’t reach an audience. This site spotlights the positive steps being taken there, and encourages creative thinking and environmentalism.


This review was written by Elizabeth Crane
 
 

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