Image from: the Orlando Sentinel
“Over the past 60 years or so developed countries have poured about a trillion dollars in aid into Africa yet poverty and hunger are still rampant.”(CNN)
“…another aspect of President Obama’s ambitious agenda is doubling aid by the end of his term. Well there’s a couple of questions about this, one is given the economic crisis is that something’s that either politically or practically possible, and the other is is it even a good idea.”(CNBC)
Over the summer world leaders have travelled to Africa and returned promising more aid for struggling African nations. But as we look into media perspective on foreign aid – many believe the troubled continent needs job creation over handouts while others say aid is working.
We get insight from CNN’s Inside Africa, the Johannesburg City Press, NPR, The New York Times and BBC.
Proponents of aid explain on NPR that aid has helped eradicate health issues such as river blindness, helped prevent malaria and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“There's the fight against AIDS. In 2002, we had perhaps 50,000 people on anti-retroviral treatment in Africa. Thanks to the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the U.S. President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, we now have well over a million people on anti-retroviral treatment”-- John McArthur, Associate Director, Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development, the Earth Institute at Columbia University
Johannesburg City Press talked to former American ambassador Charles Stith (Sti-th) who was optimistic about the direction Africa is going.
“Growth, even positive growth, is never painless. But as long as there’s a commitment to participatory and transparent governance, you’re going to get it right more often than you get it wrong.”
But the BBC’s Sorious Samura explains how that vision is far from Africa’s current reality. Samura secretly filmed pharmacists in Sierra Leone who were caught selling UNICEF drug packets.
“These are not meant to be sold. So it is such a shame that somebody who knows is conniving and is selling things that are meant to be saving the lives of children who are being killed in a country where Malaria is such a big problem, is so shocking.”
“In total the Ministry has bought 1800 four-by-fours for its staff but only four ambulances for Mulago Hospital. Aid is financing the lifestyle of those who work in aid than the very people it’s supposed to help.”-- Sorious Samura
Inside Africa produced by CNN interviewed the author of Dead Aid who suggests it’s time to stop the flow of aid and set parameters.
“There is no evidence that aid creates jobs. When you have a population as Africa does, of over 60 percent of the population under the age of 24 is the focus should be on job creation.”
The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristoff pointed to the lack of a manufacturing industry in Africa as a reason why aid isn’t working. Kristoff interviewed author Richard Dowden who suggested the focus needs to be on teaching Africans how to be productive workers.
“Many African friends who tried to get a business enterprise going, all reported the same problems: workers did not turn up on time, they had no urgency and they delivered sloppy work. Often they found themselves blocked by rivals. The elites who made money out of importing and exporting had an interest in preventing the development of local manufacturing or processing.”
What do you say? Is it time to rethink how the international community spends foreign aid in Africa?
Copy the code and paste it to your blog or website:
