"All I know is that every time I go to Africa, I am shaken to my core"
- Stephen Lewis
- Stephen Lewis
Inadvertently I had picked a very good time to visit the African landmass. The first black American president, whose family had roots in Africa, had been voted into office. Africa's first football world cup was a resounding success and I made it through North Africa before the Arab Spring had sprung. I wanted to share with you a few thoughts and ideas about Africa - the money, the politics, the people, life now and in the future. I've only really scratched the surface in Africa, I know that. If I'd stayed anywhere for more than my usual fleeting few days then maybe I would have a unearthed a better understanding of the living, breathing continent I enjoyed so much. But nevertheless, there were things I mused over whilst riding, the beguiling and the frustrating, the propitious and the inspiring. I hope you'll use the comments section below to voice your opinion too.
NGOs and charities in Africa
It sometimes felt that people always wanted something from you in some parts of Africa. In Tanzania children asked for pens, in Namibia it was sweets and in Ethiopia, money. In Western Africa I've heard that people ask for 'un cadeau'. I was asked to help get people VISAs, to help find them a job or to get them an English wife (occasionally I offered Nyomi). The image conjured is that of a Dickensian figure dishing out gold sovereigns to street children from the saddle of a Penny Farthing, it seemed to me absurd that people expected me to lavish them in gifts and money. I often wondered whether parents actually instruct their children.
'Remember... if you ever see a white man on a bicycle be sure to ask for money, they are very rich and will surely offer up everything they own.'
These aren't the poorest of the poor I'm talking about. These are people who at the very least have their basic needs met, so where did this culture of entitlement come from?
I couldn't help notice that the places where we were most approached for money or pens or food were the countries most in debt to foreign charities. It's not hard to make the connection. The hand out culture may have evolved simply because people are used to having things handed to them.
I often met travelers who liked to direct diatribes at the work of foreign NGOs in Africa. It's a fashionable opinion which people would inevitably justify by quoting parts of Paul Thoreau's book 'Dark Star Safari'. I often argued to the contrary but have to admit that I accept there have been real problems in the way aid has historically been provided in Africa. There seems little doubt to me that feeling sorry for Africa's poor has in many ways been disastrous. It's undermined people's confidence in their ability to help themselves. Surely we should be inspiring the poor to act, not dishing out unqualified handouts? People moan about the 'tick box' way some NGOs operate, more concerned with keeping the donors at home happy than in doing what's right for the local communities. People also complain that NGOs don't cooperate, that several continue in a unilateral way to fix a problem that countless others are also working on. African governments do rely on NGOs, but you could argue that in reality they are leaning on them. NGOs are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have to be apolitical and impartial in order to work where they are most needed but by doing so are they unconsciously supporting corrupt regimes? There's also the problem that a large proportion of the money donated to NGOs ends up in the source country, most seeps back through tax and other means, and if it does remain in the developing nation whose hands does it fall into? What's more is that billions of pounds has been pumped into Africa yet many would argue that it looks as though little progress has been made.
Progress of course is relative. What would have happened had NGOs not intervened in Africa? The HIV epidemic has devastated Africa and it's impact shouldn't be underestimated. Without the intervention rates would be even higher and perhaps economically Africa would actually have regressed. I knew the numbers. I knew that parts of Malawi and South Africa had HIV rates approaching 25% and in Maun, Botswana around 50% of the women aged between 30 and 35 were HIV positive, but walking into a Kenyan hospital clinic, looking at the faces of the infected patients, too many to sit down, waiting in hallways and queuing outside, was a real shock. It was clear that in the evolutionary arms race between man and microbes the HIV retrovirus was kicking our arse.
Progress of course is relative. What would have happened had NGOs not intervened in Africa? The HIV epidemic has devastated Africa and it's impact shouldn't be underestimated. Without the intervention rates would be even higher and perhaps economically Africa would actually have regressed. I knew the numbers. I knew that parts of Malawi and South Africa had HIV rates approaching 25% and in Maun, Botswana around 50% of the women aged between 30 and 35 were HIV positive, but walking into a Kenyan hospital clinic, looking at the faces of the infected patients, too many to sit down, waiting in hallways and queuing outside, was a real shock. It was clear that in the evolutionary arms race between man and microbes the HIV retrovirus was kicking our arse.
Generalising is never sensible and the fact is you can't tar all NGOs providing aid in Africa with the same brush but there are still too many examples of where NGOs are involved in ridiculous projects. I met a girl in Tanzania who told me she worked for an NGO who helped fit more fuel efficient stoves to homes in villages. She proudly told me that the NGO reduces CO2 emissions by 75%. Privately I wondered just how many stoves they would have to fit in order to blot out the carbon footprint of an NGO that flies it's volunteers out to Africa and then drives them around the villages in Land Cruisers. I later found out that the villagers were still using their old stoves anyway. It's an example of well meaning people not thinking straight and it's not the only one.
But there seems to me little doubt that a huge amount of good has been achieved over the last few decades, the benefits are often just not as visible. Mass vaccination campaigns carried out using money from foreign charities have driven down the rates of many infectious diseases, bringing some to near extinction. Child vaccination programmes have driven down deaths from Measles in Africa by 91%. Governments would never had been able to support these campaigns financially and millions of lives have been saved. Clean water has also contributed to the rising quality of life amongst Africans and rapid action in the case of natural disasters is vital in vulnerable communities. Over 290 million mosquito nets have been delivered to Africa and the impact on malaria rates is clear.
There has also been a change in direction of late, some charities and NGOs have shifted their attention to focus on sustainability, on Africans helping Africans and on making a long term benefit. I witnessed the cooperation between NGOs when I visited Merlin projects and it made me proud to have chosen Merlin as my charity of choice. Merlin of course offers help after emergencies, a different kettle of fish and a less controversial initiative. Training and supporting local health workers is central to everything Merlin does, from grassroots on-the-job supervision of rural health workers to establishing national training schools for midwives. This way, they help to create lasting change. They also have a campaign called ' Hands up for Health Workers ' which is all about calling on world leaders to ensure health workers in crisis countries are trained, equipped, paid, supported and protected. Merlin for me exemplify true energy, true action and true contribution in the areas of greatest need.
NGOs have to put out a message that they are the best people to sort out the problem. But of course NGOs do make mistakes, the key question for me is whether they are learning from them. Again there has been a change of direction. I came across this site recently. It's dedicated to NGOs putting their hands up and admitting failures and by publicly sharing them not as shameful acts, but as important lessons – NGOs are contributing to a culture in development where failure is recognized as essential to success.
The cynics rarely put forward positive solutions to the problems Africa would face without NGOs being involved, they would rather just moan about the problems foreign aid brings with it. Its easy to criticise, harder to offer positive solutions. The future of Africa no doubt lies in Africa helping itself. That is something I think both the cynics and the humanitarians would agree on.
NGOs have to put out a message that they are the best people to sort out the problem. But of course NGOs do make mistakes, the key question for me is whether they are learning from them. Again there has been a change of direction. I came across this site recently. It's dedicated to NGOs putting their hands up and admitting failures and by publicly sharing them not as shameful acts, but as important lessons – NGOs are contributing to a culture in development where failure is recognized as essential to success.
The cynics rarely put forward positive solutions to the problems Africa would face without NGOs being involved, they would rather just moan about the problems foreign aid brings with it. Its easy to criticise, harder to offer positive solutions. The future of Africa no doubt lies in Africa helping itself. That is something I think both the cynics and the humanitarians would agree on.
The Chinese and Africa
In Ethiopia children shouted 'China!' over when they saw me approach. The only foreigners many had ever had contact with were Chinese, it followed that we too must be from China. The Chinese are busy in Africa. They built the smooth tarmac I cycled along in Sudan, they are involved in large scale construction throughout the continent including the Malawian presidential palace. I was shocked to discover that to build the palace the Chinese had shipped over hundreds of prisoners. Free labour all to keep the giant machine moving. I could imagine the long line of prisoners waiting for their work detail...
'You... laundry room. You... metal work. You... One year of hard labour in Malawi'.
China is Africa’s biggest trading partner and buys more than one-third of its oil from the continent. More Chinese have probably come to Africa in the past ten years than Europeans in the past 400. Its money has paid for many facilities and improved infrastructure but still the Chinese are viewed with mixed feelings by many of the Africans I met. The first complaint is that their work is not always of good quailty, roads have been literally washed away and Chinese built buildings have fallen down. They also have a reputation for caring little for local sensibilities although it's true that China has boosted employment in Africa and made basic goods affordable.
Opposition parties, especially in southern Africa, frequently argue against Chinese investment and Chinese “exploitation” . In the past two years China has given more loans to poor countries, mainly in Africa, than the World Bank. From 2005-10 about 14% of China’s investment abroad found its way to sub-Saharan Africa however most loans and payments are “tied” and the recipient must spend the money with Chinese companies. With no competition, favoured firms get away with delivering bad roads and overpriced hospitals. Creditors and donors often set the wrong priorities.
Is this all colonialism via the back door? Is China hoarding African resources? China clearly would like to secure sources of fuel for one. Africans are embracing new opportunities but are beginning to understand the many pitfalls.
Rwanda - the genocide and beyond
You can't visit Rwanda without the 'g' word creeping into your consciousness and you can sense the heavy weight that still sits on the nation 17 years on. I looked at the older people and I couldn't help but wonder what part they had to play in the events of those three murderous months of 1994 - perpetrator? victim? bystander? opponent? And Rwanda, a country of broad grins, waving children and immense hospitality was the last place in the world I could imagine a genocide taking place, it's almost impossible to imagine the horrors perpetrated by Rwandans. Rwanda - the good and bad of human nature, condensed.
The international community were slow in helping, pulling out NATO and leaving Rwanda to it's fate. The responsibility too falls at the feet of the colonialists, dividing up the nation based upon physical characteristics, in essence creating the hutus and the tutsis and the seeds of genocide. But for me blaming the Belgians is like blaming the abusive parents of a serial killer for the killing spree. In the end it's the Rwandans themselves that carried out the atrocities, who are guilty and many of whom are paying the price, Rwandan jails are chockablock.
What's interesting is the state of Rwanda today. There has been a huge change for the better over the last 15 years. In East Africa Rwanda stands out and is not plagued by some of the problems facing it's neighbours. Corruption has been clamped down on in a serious and far from hesitant fashion. Posters all over the country encourage people to report it. It's clean - no roadside rubbish dumps, litter free streets in the capital and a zero tolerance policy to those that dump. Plastic bags are illegal, they will confiscate them from you at the border. The roads are in great condition too. During the 2000s the government replaced the flag, anthem, and constitution, re-drew the local authority boundaries, and the country joined the East African Community and the Commonwealth of Nations. Rwanda's economy and tourist numbers grew rapidly during the decade, and the country's Human Development Index grew by 3.3%, the largest increase of any country. Rwanda also can boast more women in parliament than any country in the entire world.
Are Africans happy?
We only hear about the horror stories from Africa. The crime, the war, the disease and the corruption. It would be easy to assume Africa was continent of helpless victims or selfish malcontents. Yet the Africans I met were so often smiling and laughing, not just surviving, but enjoying life. Were they happy and satisfied with their lot? Enter the world of happiness economics. Clearly happiness is subjective and difficult to compare across cultures but that doesn't mean people haven't tried. After basic needs have been met, and the vast majority of the people I met in Africa would fall into this category, it's relative rather than absolute income levels which seem to influence wellbeing. I did meet the very poor communities coping with hunger and with drought but the majority were successfully eeking out a subsistance way of life and more. Other factors are clearly important as well such as feeling in control of your life and having options and choices. One study on the subject concluded that up to the GDP of Portugal 'life satisfaction' does increase, but above the GDP of Portugal there is little difference. Why? One theory has been labelled the 'hedonistic treadmill' - aspirations increase with income. The gulf is probably important too. Whilst apartheid is history in South Africa the divisions are still immense and it remains a country of the have and the have nots, a developed nation where only 15% of the population pay tax and unemployment is at 25%.
Corruption
I remember a small boy in Malawi asking me once what was the best job in the UK. I didnt know how to answer him, obviously the best job for one is not the best for another. But curious I asked him the same question. 'A politican' came the response.
The Malawian president seems to exemplify the issue. Like most African leaders he started out overwhelmingly popular. Then he started giving the highest jobs to people from his own tribe. He became embroiled in corruption allegations including the purchasing of a 13.2 million dollar private jet. So he clamped down on the media. Journalists who don't tow the line are victimised or arrested. More and more of the educated middle class leave the country, not keen to be working for a corrupt government. If he gets voted out but clings to power this would be the typical African story.Whilst I was there a British diplomat said that the president was 'ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism'. True to form the president gave the diplomat 36 hours to leave Malawi.
Corruption of course is still rife all over the continent but it seems to me facile to tut, shake your head in disapproval and and say how terrible it all is. It helps to remember that corruption is on a much grander scale in the US, the UK and Western Europe. Only here it's legal. Bankers gamble with our money and the divide between rich and poor worldwide is ever increasing.
The future
One thing that surprised me in Africa was the sheer number of people we came across. I had assumed Africa to be a lot less populated than I found it to be. You think you've found a quiet little spot for lunch, suddenly three or four heads pop up from the bushes. Before long most of the village has heard about you and there is a curious circle of faces. The people I met in Africa were the reason I loved the continent as much as I did but the impact of the population growth is easily apparent. We consume, we waste, we spoil and we fight because more and more of us are living closer and closer together. The rate of population growth must be one of the most important issues facing Africa and our planet today.
But it's with great trepidation that I admit to harboring a rosy picture of Africa's tomorrow. People have been optimistic before and people have been proved wrong. But I do believe things are looking up. Time magazine recently published 'ten ideas changing the world right now' - Business in Africa was number six on the list. The growth rates of Tanzania and Rwanda are in excess of 6% a year and seven out of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are African countries. Fairtrade is on the increase. Once Burundi abolished school fees 99% of the children enrolled in school. I can't help feeling that at least some of Africa's problems stem from it's public image. Africa is 54 diverse countries and is full of incredable landscapes and natural beauty but above all Africa is men and women, and as the African proverb goes 'Tomorrow is pregnant and no-one knows what she will give birth to'.
Finally I leave you with a map. The most widely used map today is the Mercator projection map which was originally created for navigation across the seas. The Northern Hemisphere has a significant size bias. This distortion poses a significant limitation for any use other than navigation. Check out how big Africa really is... China, Japan, India, The US and most of Europe can all fit inside. It's time we started to see Africa differently and in more than just the physical sense.
