Page 62 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 4
P. 62
WALKING LOVE WALKING LOVE
Yes! That is it. But now, de- aid in Africa? erating Africa.
pendency on foreign aid has They see, recognize and ac-
just blinded us to the solution. knowledge that the solution for Would you say Africa has
They’ve made us not to appre- Africa is in Africa, but they try gained anything from their
ciate what we have so we don’t not to express it so that we will intervention?
believe that the solution is here. not know that it’s here. There The key lessons learnt. Gener-
is no future, per se, in these ally Africa has lost much more
You have to do certain donors giving us funding, so than they have gained. What
portions of the project they are gradually withdrawing they have been doing over the
before donors give the the aid and coming into Africa years is data mining using the
money. So you already did as investors; the new donor local people so as to set their
language is co-investor. Be- next agenda. They have been
the work anyway with the
cause of their disposition over able to understand African soci-
local community, which
the years through these direct ety well. Until we cut ourselves
means you’re able to go to
interventions that they give as off, disconnecting from that
the donors and say keep handouts or money in the form mindset of foreign aid, we will
your money, I don’t want to of empowerment, they have not go anywhere. We will just
do this anymore with you been able to change the psyche remain in that place of perpetu-
and to go back to the local of Africans to see them as good al dependency on the west and
community and say see people. So now when they the rest of the world. Have you
how far we’ve come, let’s come in it’s very easy for them ever wondered why they pay
continue. to go to a particular commu- premium price for organic food
Exactly! nity and the local community and why they prefer African
However, members of these gives them land for free that grown food and even the fish
communities need a reorienta- has certain resources and our from own coastal body taste
tion; they need to stop waiting people are not aware, because better than theirs?
for aid. Due to the age long they have created the enabling
aid, members of local commu- environment for themselves to How do we bring positive,
nities who are beneficiaries come and do business. genuine transformation to
are becoming more and lazier I would recommend that Africa our people in Africa?
because they believe nonprofit should begin to appreciate what Africans need to start to learn
organizations will always assist she has. One of the things God how to appreciate their own
them. has been highlighting to me is and to be contented with what
value addition, so if you have a we have, that’s the only way
little thing, think about how you we can start the transformation
In your opinion what’s the can add value to it, that’s the journey. Also, Africans need to
future of sustaining and accel- set their own terms of engage-
future of development and
ment with the West and the rest
of the world. It’s just like the co-
lonial story to hear that Africans
will give out ivory and raw mate-
rials to collect mirror and gin.
That’s what’s happening right
now, it’s like selling off your
birthright. So until you begin to
shed those things that don’t re-
ally make sense, transformation
will not happen. Transformation
begins with Africa reshaping Af-
rica and the resources in Africa.
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