Mokoto Masotsa watches over his sheep above a gorge near Semonkong, in Lesotho. About a
third of the country’s school-age boys work as shepherds, often spending months away in isolated mountain pastures.

Photo: Tommy Trenchard/Panos Pictures

Had to get some help transporting this large painting to an art exhibition I'll be having during the month of December and for context this piece is 1.5m by 2m. I honestly don't know how it all came together but safe to say that I managed and I'm definitely reconsidering painting large works after l've gotten this thing across counties 🥲
Shipping is easier cause I just take the painting off the frame and ship it rolled but I hope the work manages to find the perfect wall and that it gets a home that will appreciate it as much as I do.
Side note: this piece took 5 months to complete 😅

“All the people who speak ill of our country right now are people who do not like our country.”

These were the words of Emmanuel Macron, visibly frustrated by international criticism and distorted media narratives while France was grappling with urban unrest. By his logic, criticizing a nation in distress or magnifying its vulnerabilities is not objective analysis but outright hostility.

Now, apply that exact same logic to the Sahel, particularly Mali and the countries of the AES.

In the face of relentless terrorist attacks, human tragedy, and the severe trials our people endure:

• What dominates the discourse on French television networks and across Western media outlets?

• Compassion? Basic decency? Respect for the victims?

Hardly. Instead, there is systematic mockery, moralizing lectures, and thinly veiled contempt directed at our governments and our resilience.

If speaking ill of France equates to hating France, what conclusion must be drawn from the relentless diplomatic and media hostility directed at Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger?

By Macron's own definition, the verdict is undeniable: those who treat the Sahel with such condescension do not like Mali, do not like the AES, and hold no genuine goodwill toward Africa.

When Western nations face crisis and tragedy, African peoples consistently show restraint, empathy, and the basic respect demanded by human suffering. Yet that same decency is rarely reciprocated when the suffering is on our side.

This contrast makes one reality clear: in global geopolitics, superficial friendships ends where paternalism and self-interest begin.

Respect is never granted out of benevolence; it is commanded through fierce and uncompromising sovereignty.

Hi r/Africa,

(Mod-approved — thanks to the mod team for allowing this.)

I’m Nike, part of the team behind Zambezi-Mara, a small independent African-fantasy/action film project.

We’re inviting adult viewers (18+) to watch our approximately 2-minute short film and share their honest impressions before we take the story further.

Whether you enjoy African cinema, fantasy, action, or independent films, we’d value your perspective. Positive and critical feedback are equally welcome.

The film and short feedback survey should take approximately 5–8 minutes in total. No subscription, purchase, or email address is required.

We’re conducting audience research to understand how the story connects with viewers—not seeking subscribers or promotional engagement.

Interested? Please send me a DM. I’ll share the unlisted film and feedback form links privately, as requested by the moderators.

Thanks to the r/Africa moderators for approving this request, and to anyone willing to participate.o improve our storytelling.

If you're interested, please **DM me** and I'll send the film + feedback form link privately. (Per mod request, I'm keeping the links out of the public post.)

Thanks, mods, for allowing this — and thanks to anyone willing to help!

— Nike / Zambezi-Mara Team