Last night we had the usual pleas for aid for Africa. Trouble is, even the Comic Relief people had to admit that the problem is NOT that Africa isn't a potentially prosperous continent - the problem is corruption. Africa has a wealth of natural resources, and there is no good reason why people there should be living in poverty.

Politicians are creaming off aid to line their own pockets. Bribery is rife. What I cannot see, is what good sending even more aid will do. Surely there is a wider problem here that needs addressing?

I find it somewhat galling that the US and UK Governments happily declared war in Iraq, while Africa is left to wallow in disease and despair. Why are we not trying to remove these despots from power? It seems to me these problems started when we left Africa - is it time for us to go back and put an end to this unnecessary suffering?

Last night we had the usual pleas for aid for Africa. Trouble is, even the Comic Relief people had to admit that the problem is NOT that Africa isn't a potentially prosperous continent - the problem is corruption. Africa has a wealth of natural resources, and there is no good reason why people there should be living in poverty.

Politicians are creaming off aid to line their own pockets. Bribery is rife. What I cannot see, is what good sending even more aid will do. Surely there is a wider problem here that needs addressing?

I find it somewhat galling that the US and UK Governments happily declared war in Iraq, while Africa is left to wallow in disease and despair. Why are we not trying to remove these despots from power? It seems to me these problems started when we left Africa - is it time for us to go back and put an end to this unnecessary suffering?
I think what Bono. Geldof et al are doing to ease world debt is a significant contribution. Why is there suffering in any part of the world these days? I went to a Qi Qong stand today about torture in China. I mean, how is that possible in this day and age? I am not being innocent but I think the incomprehension is our reality. If our reality was up close like the Asian Tsunami then we are more likely to respond because we understand it. Africa (such a huge continent) and its poverty, disease have been around since childhood. I remember not eating black jelly babies because of it. We need to be more creative in our responses.

Trouble is tonee, we are not being asked to pour billions in aid in to China. We ARE being asked to do it in Africa, and I wonder just how much of it is really helping, and how much is just prolonging an appalling situation. Ultimately, the political powers are hardly going to turn away from corruption as they have no motivation to do so, so long as they are bailed out by wealthier countries.

I honestly feel that we are chucking money in to a bottomless pit...I find the whole situation quite depressing.

Trouble is tonee, we are not being asked to pour billions in aid in to China. We ARE being asked to do it in Africa, and I wonder just how much of it is really helping, and how much is just prolonging an appalling situation. Ultimately, the political powers are hardly going to turn away from corruption as they have no motivation to do so, so long as they are bailed out by wealthier countries.

I honestly feel that we are chucking money in to a bottomless pit...I find the whole situation quite depressing.
Possibly, I am not schooled up enough on the internal politics to make a comment. Restructuring our responses maybe the way to go. Who knows????

I agree that something has to change in Africa, but aid still needs to be going to Africa...just in the right way.

Some of the underlying problems in Africa right now is that in general it is a continent plagued by illness...not just AIDS...but also malnutrition, MDR Tuberculosis, malaria, etc...which leads to so many people not being able to work or even take care of their children properly.

Also, the aid that often goes to Africa is not the right kind. Many of them are given the wrong types of foods...while also having their land taken away so that they cannot harvest their own foods or graze their own cattle.

And...they aren't being given the right drugs to deal with disease. For example, there are some extremely effective drugs that can make someone with AIDS return to a functioning adult....but governments are assuming that it would be too expensive and that many of those in Africa wouldn't understand how to take the drugs. However, the fact is that these drugs really aren't that expensive, and that those they have given this drug to in Haiti (which has a very similar situation to Africa) have been able to take the pills properly on their own and even offer to help others in their community when foreign aid is available.

I think that if they can find a way to get these drugs to the general population, they can do a lot for reaching their potential and begin to prosper. I mean, some countries have 60% or more of its people with AIDS...clearly a society can't function when that many people are unable to work to their full potential.

The reason disease is so rife there is because the government are too busy siphoning off cash to spend any of it on hospitals. At the moment they don't have to worry about being usurped in a civil war as richer countries are helping out with billions of pounds in aid.

These government officials are leftovers from the colonial age, where they immediately started on salaries equivalent to their erstwhile European rulers. They tend to be out of touch with "grass roots" African life and have little regard for what is happening to their fellow countrymen.

The reason disease is so rife there is because the government are too busy siphoning off cash to spend any of it on hospitals. At the moment they don't have to worry about being usurped in a civil war as richer countries are helping out with billions of pounds in aid.

These government officials are leftovers from the colonial age, where they immediately started on salaries equivalent to their erstwhile European rulers. They tend to be out of touch with "grass roots" African life and have little regard for what is happening to their fellow countrymen.

Yes...I agree that the reason many of the countries are corrupt are because of the lack of necessity to care for its people in order to gain money...as they are constantly being supported by the richer countries. Especially during the Cold War, when both the US and Soviet Union wanted to avoid conflict, they often paid these countries not to fight with each other...and often bailed them out a few too many times when they struggled.

But if the richer countries give aid to Africa through the UN or other specific relief organizations with established clinics and such in these countries..that money can often stay out of the hands of the few elite in these countries...and go directly to help the disease and poverty.

I think that if you want to try to change the structure of these countries, you have to find ways to empower the poor. In one clinic in Haiti, they actually take a small portion of their money to hire local workers to learn about the medical system and help out in the community. By doing so you are improving a greater portion of the lives in the area.

So I still think they should give aid to the region...but maybe just not directly to the governments.

Do i think this will change tho? Hard to say...I think there is too much money to be made by keeping these countries poor. I mean...the gap between the rich countries and poor countries is increasing...so a LOT has to be done to turn that around.

I actually met a really wealthy couple on holiday last year, who liked nothing better than travelling to poor countries...not for the cultural experience, but to take advantage. I couldn't help but think that was rather sick, bearing in mind they were absolutely loaded.

I really hate to tell any of you that gave money to charity the last few days this, but, it's a fact that the money raised to help will do next to nothing for Africa. Most of it will be back in the UK in despots bank accounts very soon, and we do nothing to stop this. We also send 'our' people to help, wrong, we need to get these people to help themselves, to work for themselves.
There are billions upon billions of funds sitting in bank accounts all over the world, many in the UK, made up of funds siphoned off from charity raising and held by the evil *******s who are milking Africa dry. When banks and politicians put an end to that then maybe Africa will have a chance - maybe!

Good post Islandman.


I think it was Richard Curtis who said that Americans don't have a clue about what is happening in Africa. I thought it was a generalisation and a partronising one at that.

I agree with the corruption. In the paper it said the King of Swaziland, where 6/10 people live below the breadline, is planning to spend £1 million celebrating his birthday. He has a fleet of cars and bought a place and BMW 5 series for each of his 12 wives. I think this is a disgrace! Last year Britain gave £1 million in aid to this area and the same amount is being spent lavishly on a party.

Last night we had the usual pleas for aid for Africa. Trouble is, even the Comic Relief people had to admit that the problem is NOT that Africa isn't a potentially prosperous continent - the problem is corruption. Africa has a wealth of natural resources, and there is no good reason why people there should be living in poverty.

Politicians are creaming off aid to line their own pockets. Bribery is rife. What I cannot see, is what good sending even more aid will do. Surely there is a wider problem here that needs addressing?

I find it somewhat galling that the US and UK Governments happily declared war in Iraq, while Africa is left to wallow in disease and despair. Why are we not trying to remove these despots from power? It seems to me these problems started when we left Africa - is it time for us to go back and put an end to this unnecessary suffering?

I have been ranting on about this since watching Comic Relief Ceri, its an absolute ****ing disgrace that Tony Blair and George Bush can go to war on dodgy evidence of weapons of mass destruction and topple a corrupt dictator like Saddam Hussain, yet they do nothing to stop the corruption and greed causing the suffering of the people of Africa.......probably because THEY too are as corrupt and GREEDY so cant recognise it!!!!!

NOW TELL ME THAT IRAQ WAS NOT ALL ABOUT OIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem with the coruption is finally being recognised so far as to say...instead of sending money to the countries to aid them as was done in the past, Aid Workers now go out with supplies and deploy them in the areas most needed. The money before was simply being kept by the governments and or not being spent properly...as long as the west continues to provide practical rather than finacial aid to these countries the less corruption can take place...however it will saddly always be there in the background.


Something I have thought about is this....alot of women flee to the west from Africa with stories of horrendous sexual abuse....unfortunately there is a train of thought in many African countries that if a man has AIDS and has sex with a virgin he will be cured and she will be unaffected because she is a virgin. As a result the victims of rape are getting younger and younger and more vulnerable (two mentally handi-capped girls at a school my freind worked at for a year in Ughanda (and I visited for a month) were raped...they were 12)).....

I think money should be spent on setting up rape/abuse councilling facilities in these countries. Initially westerners could do the councilling and then train up locals to take over....this coupled with a greater awareness campaigns directed at the men and the myths surrounding AIDs would be a great way invest money on the preventative side. In the long term it could reduce the amount of abuse and the number infected with AIDs in the country.

I have to agree with you Coastie, I had to leave the room on Friday night as I was about to break down in sobs at the plight of 2 little ones that had lost both parents to AIDS and were left alone in the world, then there was the 3 year old little girl who had nursed her mother until she died from AIDS, it was heartbreaking to watch and it makes my blood boil that this is happeneing in this day and age..........

I truly hope that the G8 summit in the summer restores my faith in the World Leaders......HOW George Dubblya and Tony Blair sleep at night is beyond me!

I just feel that if people could get the emotional support in their own country they would be less likely to risk making dangerous journeys to escape to the west.

Setting up rape crisis clinics etc in these countries and training up locals in the art of councilling will help endless numbers of people.

I guess helping these people get back a sense of pride. Giving them the supoort they need to feel good about themselves again and then if one person helps another and so on over the years the popluation of Africa will start to care more about their countries and each other and will be able to do more and more to help themselves.....I mean lets face it no one wants to be a charity case...a vast majority of people want to be able to support themselves and their family and if providing much needed emotional support and better health education helps to acheive this....

Coastie, I hate to tell you this, but babies, both male and female are being raped due to this AIDS myth, and many die during and after. The horror you see on TV and read in the News is the tip of the iceberg, there are some things they just cannot report in detail on.

Censor - I know my eyes were thrown wide open during my month in Uganda...it is horrific what is happening largely due to ignorance......I heard that babies were being raped and the reasons being the whole AIDS and the sex with a virgin cure myth......it was just that iI met the two mentally handicapped girls and they were just little angels...I couldn't believe that someone would rape them...and both on their way to school...

What adds insult to injury is that these crimes are very, very rarely investigated and if they are they are not investigated properly as it is such common place, and so men think they can get away with and so are not in the least bit detered!

Education and councilling will help so many people but it would be a long and painful process!

Go on safari

Shot a few Lions



Go up in a hot air balloon go on a river boat trip and shot some crocodiles



Get drunk and get a tan

mates of mine in the 80's were volunteers in Africa and their remit was concentrating on birth control and condoms in particular.

[yeh,and we couldn't get them in Ireland at the time - ho hum]

and they really thought they were getting somewhere, small though it was in the big scheme, but then along came Mother Teresa 6 months later and told them to disregard what they'd learnt and ditch the condoms.

very helpful.