It’s true, there are lots of good people donating money to large organizations
which have programs to feed the people during famine, run refugee
camps and set up programs to help the poor survive tough times.
So why is it that year after year you are bombarded with the same
television and news press ads telling you that your dollars are
needed again to save Africans?
I’ll begin
by telling you that there ARE situations where monetary donations
are not only appropriate; but absolutely necessary! During moments
of crisis, there is no other choice than to support those in trouble
with immediate aid.
But in order to have
Africans living in situations which prevent the need for so much
aid in times of disaster, we need to think differently about the
way we help.
The way life goes
today for far too many African women is that they live in poverty
with no assistance from anyone until an international drama occurs.
Then large organizations flood in, install temporary camps, feed
people and pack up and leave as soon as the crisis is over.
Immediate but temporary
aid is not a long term solution.
African women, as
well as women from other developing countries have been telling
us what the solutions are. Only no one seems interested in listening.
There are not enough women in decision-making positions to help
sustainable development. Those currently making decisions about
the future of African women are NOT African women. That is the problem!
The idea that giving
money or food during crises will solve them is simply not true.
Africans want to EARN their livelihood, not be the eternal victims
of donations and live in refugee camps for life. Refugee camps which
house the same people living in them generation after generation
are not a permanent solution.
Those government
officials continuing to buy arms and searching for every excuse
to go to war with their neighbors instead of investing in healthcare
and education are not the solution either.
Allowing foreign
companies to come in and run large businesses where workers have
virtually no rights and aren’t paid enough to feed their families
is not a solution either. Let's face it, there are only two groups
who win in such situations: big businesses, which get to sell the
same product at a larger profit because it is no longer held to
the same rules and regulations as in the West, and governments which
gain income from taxes all too often funneled into projects which
are counterproductive for their own citizens.
Did you know that
there are African nations which military budget is worth ten times
their education and healthcare budgets combined? Add to that that
those countries which are actually interested in improving the lives
of their citizens are often bogged down with loan reimbursement
and meeting the cutbacks forced upon them by organizations such
as the IMF (International Monetary Fund), and the World Bank.
Combine mandatory
reductions of social programs and the fact that interest on loans
is often all that can afford to be paid by the poorest of nations.
You will then have a clear understanding as to why governments,
even when they are willing, are unable to meet the immediate needs of their
nation’s poorest citizens.
So what IS the solution?
Many African women are getting together now to address the problem
of poverty and the vast majority has come to the conclusion that
the best long-term solution to their plight is found in working
together. They are forming cooperatives of all sizes accomplishing
a variety of tasks. African women are working hand in hand, as well
as with women from other parts of the world to learn trades, discover
new ways to market their wares, save money for collective village
projects such as education and health centers and the list goes
on…
African women are
doing what they have done from the beginning of time: depending
on and assisting each other.
Just a couple of
the many benefits of these cooperatives in the lives of Africa’s
women is that they are able to have daycare centers where they can
leave their children to be attended to while they go off to work.
They also allow women to take charge of their health through the
construction of village health clinics where basic nutrition and
sanitation classes are taught.
If companies in the
West would simply entertain the idea of engaging in fair trade with
these cooperatives, there could at last be a lasting solution to
the problem of poverty.
In my opinion, the
most effective way to have this happen is to learn about fair trade
and spread the news. After all, there are so many people who are
torn between wanting to help and not wanting to give blindly to
an organization which might, or sadly, might not ever fulfill its
promise. These people are people like you. Good and decent human
beings who really do want what is best for Africans; but don’t
know how to help in a way that is concrete and that doesn’t
leave African men, women and children sitting and waiting for a
hand-out year after year.
Allow me to propose
fair trade as a lasting solution. It will not prevent wars, nor
will it prevent natural disasters such as drought. But in my opinion,
it will definitely assist Africans in being more independent and
prepared when such events occur.
I hope to see you
again next time when we will address what
fair trade entails. Thanks for stopping by to read this
article! See you again soon…
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