Africa in Perspective

As the world experiences economic decline and financial crisis with increasing unemployment, the continent of Africa is experiencing natural and man made disasters like never before.  The horn of Africa specifically Uganda, Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, is unfortunately experiencing yet another food crisis. Whereas emergency interventions in food distribution, food security, nutrition, water and sanitation are critical, it is important that a longer-term and sustainable approach be utilized to address drought and famine in the horn of Africa. According to UN OCHA, over 10 million people in the horn of Africa are going hungry. That’s like starving the entire city of New York and Chicago. There is a possibility of seeing these figures increase in the days to come. 

Food crisis is a hammer to an already dying economy in Africa that is surrounded by killer diseases like HIV/AIDS and Malaria. Two weeks ago, I was surprised to hear that a country like Kenya has a population of ten million people with jiggers. I will soon write a blog on jiggers because there are many people that have never seen or heard about jiggers.

Many countries of Africa have these problems in common but they vary from country to country. There are countries with unique problems and different experiences. Rwanda is the country that features in many newspapers and Television stations mainly because of the genocide of 1994.  Much has been done to improve the standards of people but the journey is still very long. Many people are still struggling with their journey towards reconciliation. Many children who lost parents either to the 1994 genocide or to HIV/AIDS need someone to be their guardian.

When I was in Rwanda three weeks ago, a boy of 19 years called me on my cell phone for help. He needed me to pay his tuition fees in high school because since he lost his parents, he has been struggling in his education. Sometimes, he is in school and sometimes out of school. When he talked to me on phone, his voice sounded helpless.

Someone once made a careless comment that Africa is a big hole that cannot be filled. I disagree with that. I believe that with more people doing the little they can; we will be able to make a big difference in the world. One reason why I support Africa Mission Alliance is because they are more than just another organization throwing money at the problem. They are making a lasting change in the lives of people they serve. The poor don’t necessarily need handouts but access to material, social, and spiritual means to develop their capabilities. That empowerment of the poor is a crucial prerequisite for a sustainable solution to poverty. The least privileged poor need access to productive resources that enable them to better their livelihood. They need resources to enable them to participate in the development process and the decisions that affect them. These resources may include land, seeds, fertilizers, livestock, irrigation, marketing opportunities, off-farm employment, and financial resources, among others. Africa Mission Alliance is doing just that. This reminds me of G.K Chesterton who said “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” I believe that change can come. Change can come from as few as one person.

William Ngabo