Young Africans are posting images of their lives to show what the media won't.
Perceptions are changing.
Africans put up with a lot of crap.
Seriously. It's embarrassing.
No, Africa is not a country (it's a continent with approximately 54 countries!), but we once had a presidential candidate who apparently didn't realize that. We've had an airline who assumed giraffes roam around everywhere. And we have this never-ending idea that Africa needs to be saved.
The myths are aplenty.
Collectively, the rest of the world has been getting Africa wrong for so long.
It's time to make it right.
Young Africans are posting on social media to show what their real lives look like.
Under the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou, young people are helping to debunk the ridiculous stereotypes we've been fed about Africa to show the place they call home for what it truly is.
It truly is awesome. There's art, education, home life, cool landscapes, fashion, cities, and more.
By 2050, it's estimated that Africa will be home to every 2 out of 5 children in the world.
That is A LOT OF KIDS. From UNICEF:
"According to the Generation 2030/Africa Report, high fertility rates and rising numbers of women of reproductive age mean that over the next 35 years, almost two billion babies will be born in Africa; the continent's population will double in size; and its under-18 population will increase by two-thirds to reach almost a billion children."
Africa is booming with potential, and it's time we stop lumping more than 1 billion people from 50+ countries into one mental picture. It's just not true.
Young people + new ways of thinking + technology = watch out, world.
It's already starting. Don't blink.