Benin canoe race
Hundreds of canoes and barges thronged the centuries-old lake village of Ganvie in Benin for its annual festival celebrating its history and heritage with vibrant music, dance, and boat regattas, as well as traditional food and spiritual ceremonies.The annual Festival of Nautical Sports, Cultures, and Arts (FESCAN) highlights the vibrant life and traditions of the lake-dwelling community, a village perched on stilts, lying just north of the capital Cotonou on Lake Nokoue.Canoe races were a major attraction, drawing participants from across the region.Packed onto boats, spectators cheered on their favourite teams and savoured the lively atmosphere. This year's event was held from August 24 to 31.Nicknamed “The Venice of Africa”, Ganvie was built on water by Africans who escaped from slavery in the 18th century. It is now a tourist destination known for its stilt homes and cultural heritage.
'The spear to win'
The famous Maasai spear is more than just a weapon — its sinewy steel reflects the African warrior tribe's DNA.This is a community where a lion's head and mane used to be the bounty every young man needed to display to prove his bravery and complete the initiation into adulthood.But like the world around them, the Maasai are evolving. The tribe's young morans (warriors) are no longer chasing game in the bushes. They aim to be global sporting champions with their spears rather than using them to harm wild animals Javelins have replaced the spears in their hands as they hunt for glory in an ancient sport that is now among the more popular Olympic disciplines."We are the Javelin Morans of the Mara," Anthony Njapit tells TRT Afrika, introducing a group of nearly 30 men gathered in a meadow inside the lush Mara forest in Kenya, a hub for exotic safaris.Draped in traditional Maasai throws, with beaded belts and long feathers on their ochre-painted hair, the young men take turns throwing javelins. The technique isn't perfect, but each almighty hurl gives the javelin wings to travel further. "As we speak, we have quit hunting wildlife," says Njapit. "We use our spears to win, not to kill."