Book on foreigners in Africa launched

A book that documents the daily struggles of expatriates in Africa in their quest to rise to the top and become rich has been launched in Accra.

Authored by a Ghana-based Indian scholar, Astha Singh, the 150-page book, “Congo-A journey”, tells the story of a man who dreams of making it big in Africa.

The book traces the journey of this ambitious man who dares to defy the protocol of the tightly-knit migrant society and makes it big.

Reviewing the book herself at the launch in Accra, Mrs Singh said it had a rich tale of love, lust and some potent magic set in Kinshasa, a city in Congo, fraught with staggering contradictions.

“It is a rich tapestry that weaves in the lives of expatriate wives, businessmen, prostitutes and voodoo men. It is a sensational tale of love, lust and revenge,” she said.

Mrs Singh said the book was an amalgamation of all the stories and anecdotes she heard during her stay in Kinshasa, adding that a portion of it was documented through her personal experience as a foreigner.

“I lived in Kinshasa for eight years and enjoyed everything that the country had to offer. A lot has been written about expats in USA/U.K/Australia but not much has been written about expats who live in Africa and have made it big. No one has documented the struggles, life and history of what life is for expats in Africa,” she said.

Challenges

Outlining some of the challenges she encountered in writing the book, Mrs Singh said, “I found it very difficult to juggle work, children, home and social commitments. One has to be in the moment yet master the art of isolating oneself to write. Discipline is key that I absolutely lack!”.