Because of its plurality, Africa invites the rest of the continents to understand the history and culture of the countries that make it up, its diversity, richness, contrasts and similarities. This is one of the reasons that May 25th is the World Day of this territory every year.
The celebrations mark the date of the founding in 1963 of the Organization of African Unity – now the African Union – which was the voice of these nations on the international stage and a conduit for their quest for peace and progress.
On the occasion of this commemoration, 5 de Septiembre spoke to the young Angolan Manuel Cardoso Luis, a sixth-year medical student and president of the Junta de Naciones at the University of Medical Sciences in Cienfuegos.
Africa Day is very important to us. We are outside our countries, and being here in Cuba makes us more united. There are people of different nationalities, but we are all Africans.
One of the aims of celebrating Africa Day is to highlight the achievements of the continent while reflecting on the challenges it still faces. What do you think these challenges are? In your opinion, how do young people, future specialists in your countries, contribute to the realization of development aspirations?
“Being outside of our nations has allowed us to look at things from a different angle. We lived something from within and now we do it from without. Personally, I’m talking about medicine itself. We are young people in training and we want to carry this dynamic into our countries, bring good health and a good education. This is where I see the biggest challenges. You know the situation in Africa in this industry and so we want to emphasize that.”
At this university there are students from 16 African countries. Has your time here helped foster unity among you?
“Yes, it helped. The relationship we built was very good and allowed us to get to know each other. For example, I’m from Angola and had heard about Comoros, but now I’m spending time with a person from there who tells me what their country is like, their culture, their clothes, the gastronomy. I say the same about Mali, South Africa, Namibia and others. It gave me a lot of information and I was able to learn how things are outside Angola but inside Africa.
“And that is fundamental because when I return to my country I will be able to say that I am a very lively person, having been here for seven years, but I have been in contact with a number of boys of different nationalities, z A possibility that today thanks to my coexistence with them I can speak English and French. I thank Cuba for this opportunity that it offers to us African students, because we are from there but have come here to unite on a continent other than ours.”
For Manuel, being able to celebrate Africa Day here is a source of joy, but it also brings with it a great responsibility, because it is the ideal moment to make known, with gestures, words and art, what this vast region is , which the island also offers estate.