African Money Pit

As we head towards another Christmas  the normal adverts will start to appear on the TV.

A child of African decent, wide eyed with dried up tears, naked and obviously malnourished. Then the message becomes clear that money is required to prevent this child and many others from dying.

For many years people have donated to various charities in an effort to save these starving people. Twenty eight years ago a song was released and the profits from that song (Do they know it’s Christmas) were to help the starving children of Ethiopia whose population was 33 million and now is 78 million plus. There was of course the Live Aid concert beamed across the world raking in millions of dollars for Africa and its starving children.

Have we learnt anything from the constant donating of money to these African nations?

Are these countries doing anything to help themselves or are they just becoming money pit for the western world's donations.

I have no doubt this article will win me no friends. It may encourage the self righteous anger of those that feel they have moral superiority, yet the problems that Africa faces will continue.

Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Sudan are countries that are suffering from poverty, hunger and violence from social and government meltdown.

Of course we can donate money and walk away thinking we have done something good and once more pat ourselves on the back knowing we may have saved a life of a child that will still grow up in a melting pot of injustice.

We shouldn't keep pouring money into a money pit. If anything the situation has become worse

Author Steve Boddey