I have been fascinated by Africa for many years, ever since I was at Primary and making christmas shoe boxes for kids in Kenya. I wanted to know why these children needed my help, why were they not enjoying the toys I recieved at christmas ? did they even know it was christmas ? This curiosity to find out more about Africa and the different countries stayed with me throughout my life, always trying to find out ever more snippets about life there. Films like "Out of Africa", "Born Free" and "The No.1 Ladies Detective agency" seemed to romanticise Africa, but then songs by Band Aid, "Blood Diamond", "Hotel Rwanda" showed un imaginable horrors of death, destruction and despair.

I therefore decided to base my dissertation and studies this year at university on different countries in Africa and the different experiences that had taken place. I have taken two different sides, on of my essays will be on the Rwandan / Burundi Genocide and the other on China's involvement in Africa !!!!!