Hmmm. Interesting opinion on aid to Africa.
. . . development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need…
Why do we get these mountains of clothes? No one is freezing here. Instead, our tailors lose their livlihoods. They’re in the same position as our farmers. No one in the low-wage world of Africa can be cost-efficient enough to keep pace with donated products.
– Kenyan economist James Shikwati
“For God’s Sake, Please Stop the Aid!”
Before you say this is crazy . . .
I think before anybody says “that’s crazy” they should read the article. You just might come away from it believing that the United States is contributing more to Africa’s problems than it is doing to help them. I have to say that it’s pretty convincing.
He also suggests that Aids, hunger, etc… are marketed so strongly by certain groups in the country because it helps keep the aid coming, which they waste, use for their own pleasure, etc….
My personal take?
This is something new I had never thought of or heard of, and I brought it up with two extremely smart people today who agreed 100 percent with Shikwati’s assessment. I’ve been thinking a lot about it today, and I’ve realized it’s not possible for me to understand every situation that exists, but I completely understand where he’s coming from. Again, read the article. The part that really got me was hearing how countries will send grain to Africa that is taken by political leaders who give it to their tribes and dump the rest into markets at prices that are so cheap African farmers can’t compete. As a result, nobody has any reason to work to produce grain . . .
