Friday, March 6, 2009

Blog #8


Sub-Saharan Africa gives meaning to words like poor, underdeveloped, and undereducated. Governments in Sub-Saharan Africa are anything but politically correct. Genocide occurs on a daily basis as well as the rape and murder of young girls and women. President Bush, by 2006, had tripled aid to this region to about $6 billion. In all, since 1960, around $500 billion has been sent to Sub-Saharan Africa to help develop the region. 
CATO states that the United Nations Development Program could take as long as 150 years to see any development in Sub-Saharan Africa. 150 years! Those of us living today will most likely see no improvement in this region of the world during our life time. In reality, we could probably live two lifetimes and still see no development. Not only is this shocking and sad, but it is a down right outrage! 
In the CATO article, it says, "Helping Africa is a noble cause, but the campaign has become a theater of the absurd–the blind leading the clueless. The record of Western aid to Africa is one of abysmal failure." The United States, as well as the rest of the world, has no idea of how to go about developing this region. War is always raging, crimes are out of control, and over $500 billion later no signs of development have occurred. 
"If you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime." I know most everyone has heard this quote at one point or another. This quote seems too fitting for what is taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa. The world continues to give, and give, and give, and give, and give. Methods need to change! Don't get me wrong,  giving is a wonderful thing to do, but we need to give in such a way as to help the people of Sub-Saharan Africa give back to their country and economy. I believe the quickest and most successful way to go about helping this region would be for nations around the world to focus on helping develop trade, industry, and infrastructure. Whatever the solution, it will take lots of time and lots of energy!

No comments:

Post a Comment