TEDGlobal 2007: Session 11: Ory Okolloh

Africa is a continent full of contradictions. You’re Harvard educated, and you’re coming here to tell us what to do? She told us about her experiences growing up. Although not in the slums, she grew up poor. She was sent to an expensive school and kept being thrown out. And once when she failed, she went with her father to request that the teacher make an exception. The teacher insulted him, asking him who he thought he was asking for this special request. Father died of AIDS in 1999. She figured it out because she’s a nerd and used the Internet to make her diagnosis of the infections. She got the right slide show again. Afrigator was highlighted as a South African project which allows African bloggers to spread the message. The Swahili Wikipedia has 5 contributors, 4 of whom are white males, and 1 is from Tanzania. Gwyneth Paltrow featured in Vogue in the “I am African campaign.” She mentioned Enablis, the Canadian non-profit that helps entrepreneurs in South Africa and now in East Africa. She also mentioned her Mzalendo blog, which tracks the performance of the Kenyan Parliament. As Africans, we need to take responsibility for our continent.