Comparing The Education Of Auma Obama And Dirt For Dinner

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People from around the world have in one way or another been affected by the actions of their predecessors. The consequences of those actions can be both good and bad, depending on the perspective one takes. When taking a look at Africa and the different forms of colonization that has plagued the continent one can easily identify the beneficiaries and victims. Branwen Okpako, a Nigerian filmmaker and writer, captures some of the struggles that still linger from colonial periods in her films “The Education of Auma Obama” and “Dirt for Dinner.” While these films may not be identical, they both shine a light on the different challenges Africans can still endure surrounding things like identity, culture, and belonging. Branwen Okpako’s films are engaging pieces of media that …show more content…

While that may be how many people know her as, she has accomplished a lot more than just being the relative of a president. This film demonstrates her journey from a child who was forced to attend boarding school in Kenya to a scholar who studied linguistics and contemporary dance in Germany. While that transition may sound smooth and straightforward it actually consisted of some extremely difficult obstacles. Auma Obama was born to Barack Obama Sr. and Kezia Obama in Nairobi, Kenya. For a while her childhood was fairly amusing, thanks to her grandfather Hussein Onyango. While he was strict and firm he was also a hard worker who stopped at nothing to ensure his family was well off. Onyango worked as a house servant, baker, and even farmed his own land. Since he was such a hard worker his family “lived in a colonial period like Europeans.” While Auma may have gotten to enjoy a content lifestyle her life would forever be changed when her father Barack Obama Sr. was selected for a special program to attend college in the United States. Her situation got