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WORLD> Africa
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Africans harness enthusiasm for Obama
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-01 11:31 The interest in Obama may be highest in Kenya, where his father was born and lived before traveling to study in the United States. There, vendors sell T-shirts, key chains, banners and hats to capitalize on the popularity of the candidate Kenyans consider practically a native son. "I like him because of the things he stands for: He stands for hope, that anyone can live their dreams if they believe in themselves," says Antony Otaye, a 28-year old graphic designer who makes Obama paraphernalia. "He is reviving the American Dream." At bars, patrons ask for a local beer, Senator Keg Lager, by the name "Obama Beer." And a travel company is including on its itinerary a visit to the western Kenya village where Obama's extended family still lives. To Edwin Odhiambo, a 33-year old civil engineer, Obama represents resilience for Africans. He bought an Obama hat for about US $6 and sported it recently at a popular restaurant in downtown Nairobi. "It is a statement that regardless of one's background, who your dad or mother is, or how you grew up, you can do something for yourself," he said. "You cannot sit back and wallow in misery. You can always make good of something no matter what circumstances you are facing." For many Africans, who feel their hopes are hobbled by crushing poverty, corrupt leadership and crumbling infrastructure, the American Dream is also the African Dream. On a continent where most people struggle each day just to fill their children's stomachs, America symbolizes the idea that hard work should mean success, not just survival. About half of Nigerians surveyed in a recent poll said they were following the US race at least somewhat closely. The same poll also found that 48 percent of Nigerians following the race believe Obama would change US policy for the better, compared to 32 percent for presumptive Republican candidate John McCain. McCain, while also hailed by many as a fine candidate, hasn't captured the African imagination. "I don't know John McCain. He's not my brother," said Olakunle Ologun, a banker who attended the recent Obama event in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital. "We're in support of our brother African, Obama." However, the support for Obama comes with some controversy. An organizer of the Africans for Obama 08 fundraiser, Nigerian Stock Exchange head Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, was questioned by anti-corruption police after a complaint that she was violating US electoral regulations by raising money for the Obama campaign. Okereke-Onyiuke wasn't charged, and attendees were told repeatedly from the stage that proceeds couldn't be sent to America. Some Nigerians also criticized the glitz of the event as insensitive to the plight of the majority of Nigeria's 140 million people. Others question the basis of many Africans' support for Obama, saying it comes from a reflexive tribalism that has long plagued the continent. They point out that Obama, an American, has only a tenuous link to Africa through a mostly absent and little known father. "Obama is truly a new American (note: American), who stands on all the delicate cutting edges of America's murky politics," read an editorial published August 18 in Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper. "It is unhelpful to own him via silly tribal fundraising projects from Africa that in itself is begging for ownership of some kind." |
