ANGOLA

FICTIONAL DESTINATION- Where Dreams Begin...Where dreams are made...

 There are places in the world that are magical, not only for the beauty that surrounds them, but also for the unexplainable sensation they produce. This is my country, ANGOLA.

There are so many differences, so many details and places hidden within the Angolan setting, from province to province, so that discovering is unique and impossible to recreate anywhere else.

ANGOLA combines a little of all of AFRICA, from the tropical rainforests, in the north, to the savannah and open forest of the central plateau, all the way to the desert in the south. The beaches, islands and sandbanks, rich in exotic flora and fauna, all of this are just a tiny inkling of what the Angolan essence has to offer.

We are an independent nation that, in the course of the thirty-five years of its existence, has shown that it is has been able gradually to fulfil its people’s dreams and their deepest  wishes with determination, courage and the desire to win.

A lot more could be said about the beautiful and natural resourced country, Angola, if you are interested to find out more visit the website below.

The tree of maternal presence under which the Angolan chiefs would meet the majestic bearing of the BAOBAB.



 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angola

Territory:  1,247,700km

Population: 16,900,000 (49.3% man/50.7% women)

Provinces: 18

Date of Independence: 11 November 1975

President of the republic: Jose Eduardo dos Santos

Official Language: Portuguese

National Languages most commonly spoken:  Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, cokwe, fiote, kwanyama

Religions: Catholic 51%, Protestant 17%, Traditional (Animist) 30%, Others 2%

Official Currency: Kwanza

Main Ports: Luanda, Namibe and Lobito

Coastline: 1,600 km

Climate: Semi-arid in south and along coast to Luanda; North has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April).

Natural Resources: Petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, gold, bauxite, uranium.

HOW DOES THE SOCIETY LOOK UPON A DISABLED PERSON?!

At the age of 21, with a great life and career working as a competitive gymnast, I suffered a car accident that left me in a wheelchair as a paraplegic. 

This was the worst moment in my life! But it didn’t stop me from living the life I love, powerfully. 

 I have been through rough times in my life- I have been constantly reminded of my condition (physical limitation) every day for the past 20 years. But I still wake up in the morning and say to myself- "I am NORMAL."

In my opinion, society is disabled for looking down upon people with limitations. Many people think all disabled people are wheelchair users because society associates the disabled symbol with every disabled person.  Surprisingly, last week when I was parking my car in a disabled bay, someone stopped me, pointed towards the disabled sign and said: "This is for people who use wheelchairs only."

Stereotyping is something that blocks people, not allowing them to be open minded. This does not only happen to disabled people but unfortunately to so many people in many situations. I wish society would understand that not all disabled people are in a wheelchair and that we are NORMAL.

In the website below, you can find out more about Disability.

http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/education-and-employment-disabled-young-people