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When one views Africa from a distance, usually all that they see is poverty, disease, and war, and the brighter side of Africa, such as its natural heritage and potential to succeed in making a better world is overshadowed. There two reasons why such images are prevalent the international tabloids and local media.
Firstly local proletariats within the continent have seized the majority of the resources leaving the majority of the people in abject poverty. By this concept of seizing power, land/minerals, justice and governance of the nations are in the hands of the minority.
Secondly, the western world has viewed Africa and other developing countries as a source of raw materials for their industrial development at the same time as a damping ground for their products that cause ozone depletion and as testing ground for genetically modified foods (GMF).
Let’s look critically at what poverty entails to an African child. It can be defined as lack of basic necessities such as food and infrastructures. As for food, according to the United Nations Human Development report, 80% of the people in sub-Sahara are living in absolute poverty, feeding on less than $1 for a family of six daily. Even in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of providing a decent meal for all by the year 2015 looks unattainable with no tangible or feasible way of scoring results.
Relief food seems to be the solution for international donors and other agencies, but this only makes people reliant. They should be supplying seeds, fertilizers, and information for them to attain sustainable development.
With the pendulum swinging in favour of the inhumane beliefs that Africa is facing, such issues look difficult to combat. Issues such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, malnutrition and other health problems have not spared the population.
As for the infrastructure of poverty, the misappropriation of priorities should be regarded as one of the prime causes these woes. The rural community needs roads, clean water, education and information communication technologies ICT for the application of programs such as telemedicine, where a doctor would be centered at a designated point instead of trotting to and fro. But when one views the way central governments are lavishly spending resources towards the purchasing of posh cars, paying themselves gratuities while certain sections of the civil service have gone several months without a salary, attending conferences for making strategic plans that are never implemented and fighting corruption selectively, thus ignoring those who cannot afford to manipulate justice.
However, it’s not too late for the African society to find a panacea towards those woes that have been daunting the continent. First, the need to strengthen all wings of democratic governance such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, enacting people-driven republican constitutions, holding fair general and presidential elections before talking about the formation of a strong African Union. Also the people themselves should rise and challenge their leaders in areas where they are unhappy in terms of managing their resources and provision of quality services like clean water and education. Finally, the solution to any wailing society lies in its ability to identify its chambers of controlling its blood flow in terms of resources mobilization, utilization and consensus building.
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Kebby Thijesko Shampongo
It is my humble desire to find a resource for interaction, research and innovation and that is what TIG has brought to my soul. I am only 25 years of age, male.
I am a leader and co-founder of the Youth Press and Development Organisation (Zambia), a non-profit- making organisation that intends to offer the setting up of a youth training center in information communication technologies. With the help of my global friends via TIG, we have succeeded in mobilising resources for the project and forming partnerships with other organisations.
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