Papa Afrika - Mr. Danku: Cut and Sow in Düsseldorf

I recently described Mr. Danku's Papa Afrika shop to a friend as my newfound treasure island. And truly that is what it is to me.

A place where treasurable inspirations ooze from every corner, basked in colorful  African prints and tamed with contemporary fashion and design.
Ankara prints integrated into raffia bags, wedges with lace embroidered heels, Yoruba hats to match any man's outfit no matter his style, typical Yoruba geles to complement the glamor of any elegant dress....pillows and shopper bags in eye-catching prints.

These and much more are all at home in Mr. Danku's neatly arranged show room on Corneliusstr. 127 Düsseldorf.

Mr. Danku was born and raised in Kwarra State Nigeria. He moved to Germany in 2001. A few years later he started designing for different shops and show rooms. In May 2012 he established his shop at Corneliusstr. 127 Düsseldorf, where he makes bespoke tailoring affordable to everyone.

Raphael Folorunsho Alayo has transformed his childhood nickname "Danku" to a successful brand by Papa Afrika.
At the age of 15, he took to sowing as a means of extra income for his grandma, who raised him up. While other kids played around the village after school, Mr. Danku drew inspiration from his surroundings to design clothes for his community.

These childhood imprints can still be traced till date. Thus it was no surprise when he revealed that the hat he wore during our interview was inspired by head pads worn by Hausa construction worker's in the area where he grew up. When asked about the source of his current creative impulses, he replied with a broad smile "nature, bright colors, my childhood and of course the forms and contours of the female form".

In his ever friendly, polite and professional manner; aired with a sense of achievement, Mr. Danku presented me his most recent creations and off course I had to strike....

Contact:

Corneliusstr. 127
40215 Düsseldorf
Tel: 0152-10384371
Email: papaafrica.textiles@yahoo.de
www.papa-africa.de.tl

BREAKING NEWS!!! GERMANY VOTES ITS FIRST BLACK MAYOR:JOHN EHRET

After Russia's Jean Gregoire Sagbo (voted 2010 in Novozavidovo) and Slovenia's Peter Bossman (voted 2010 in Piran),  John Ehret was voted on 06.05.2012 as mayor of Mauer, Baden-Wuerttemberg. Part of Obama's domino effect? My personal opinion is "yes and no!". In view of Germany's history on one hand and current world political events on the other, the probability that the Obama domino effect played a significant role in these elections is very high. However, Europe had long before Obama's era, voted mayors of African descent,  such as John Archer (1913 in Battersea, UK), Raphael Elizé (1929 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France) and Héctor Julio Castillo Figueroa (1979 in Isla Cristina, Spain) .

Let's take the spotlight back on Mauer.  John Ehret was the last, just before the application deadline, to announce his candidacy for the mayoral elections. The 40-year-old campaigned as a nonpartisan candidate besides Andrea Pfisterer-Watzlawek (of the Green Party), as well as other Nonpartisans, Mathias Schmalzhaf, Claus Trunk und Hagen Zuber in the elections. He plans to rule following his campaign slogan "from Mauer to Mauer - Yes we can".


John Ehret was born in 1971 in Karlsruhe. Due to a difficult family situation he was given to a children's home as a child. In 1977 Gertrud and Helmut Ehret adopted the boy and took him to Mauer. Although he was the only black kid in town, he was heartily welcomed everywhere and was involved in various projects as a teenager. As he puts it, as a "stranger" he was well received, which was uncommon at the time. This also added to his motivation to apply as mayor. He wants to give back something positive to Mauer.
Ehret graduated from high school in 1992 and did community service at Protestant Mission in Heidelberg. He then trained as a public administrator and police commissioner, obtaining a diploma at the BKA (Bundeskriminalamt - Federal Criminal Police Department). He worked in Wiesbaden, Berlin and Meckenheim. He has been on several missions abroad to fascilate the construction of an effective police department in developing countries- including in Lebanon, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia. He's displayed his potential for an outstanding performance before. 2012, he received an award for his commitment to developing the Afghan police.
 
He plans to focus his work on families, seniors and youth,  to create good conditions for traders and to involve citizens in decisions during his regime.

BREAKING NEWS!!! DEUTSCHLAND WÄHLT SEINEN ERSTEN SCHWARZEN BÜRGERMEISTER: JOHN EHRET

Nach Russland's Jean Gregoire Sagbo (gewält 2010 in Novozavidovo) und Slowenien's Peter Bossmann (gewält 2010 in Piran) wurde John Ehret am 6.05.2012 als Bürgermeister von Mauer, Baden-Württemberg gewält. Teil des Obama-Domino-Effekts? Meine persönliche Meinung ist "jein"!.  Angesicht der Geschichte und den aktuellen weltpolitischen Ereignißen hat der Obama-Domino-Effekt mit höher Wahrscheinlichkeit eine bedeutende Rolle in dieser Wahlen gespielt. Jedoch hatte Europa lange vor Obamazeiten Leute afrikanischer Herkunft als Bürgermeister gewält, wie John Archer (1913 in Battersea, UK), Raphael Elizé (1929 in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, Frankreich) oder Héctor Julio Castillo Figueroa (1979 in Isla Cristina, Spanien). 
Nehmen wir die Scheinwerfer wieder auf Mauer. John Ehret hatte als letzter, kurz vor dem Ende der Bewerbungsfrist, seine Kandidatur bei der Bürgermeisterwahl bekannt gegeben. Der 40-jährige trat als parteiloser neben Andrea Pfisterer-Watzlawek (von der Grüne Partei),  sowie den parteilosen Mathias Schmalzhaf, Claus Trunk und Hagen Zuber bei den Wahlen an. Nach dem Motto "Von Mauer für Mauer - Yes, we can" will der Kriminaloberkommissar Mauer gestalten.

John Ehret wurde 1971 in Karlsruhe geboren und kam im Kindesalter aufgrund einer schwierigen Familiensituation in ein Kinderheim. Im Jahr 1977 adoptierten Gertrud und Helmut Ehret aus Mauer den Jungen. Er war damals das einzige schwarze Kind im Ort, er war gleich überall gern gesehen und hat sich als Jugendlicher vielfältig engagiert. Er sei als "Fremder" sehr gut aufgenommen worden, was damals nicht selbstverständlich gewesen sei, so Ehret. Dies sei nun auch eine Motivation, sich als Bürgermeister zu bewerben. Er wolle Mauer etwas Positives zurückgeben.
1992 machte Ehret in Heidelberg Abitur und leistete Zivildienst bei der evangelischen Stadtmission. Danach absolvierte er eine Ausbildung zum Diplomverwaltungswirt und Kriminalkommissar beim BKA. Dort arbeitete er in Wiesbaden, Berlin und Meckenheim . Mehrfach war er im Ausland – unter anderem im Libanon, in Afghanistan und im ehemaligen Jugoslawien beim Aufbau der Polizei im Einsatz. Sein Potenzial zur hevorragenden Leistung bewies er bisher. 2012 erhielt er eine Auszeichnung für sein Engagement beim Aufbau Afghanischer Kriminalpolizei.

Er will sich für Familien, Jugend und Senioren einsetzen, gute Bedingungen für Gewerbetreibende schaffen sowie die Bürger in Entscheidungen einbinden.
Bis heute arbeitet er beim Bundeskriminalamt und wohnt zurzeit mit seiner Lebensgefährtin Katja Alexandra und zwei Kindern, aus beruflichen Gründen in Köln. Seinen zweiten Wohnsitz hat er in Mauer. Jetzt steht der Umzug vor...