Starving children of Africa TV ads

Bongalongherb · 03-05-2014 10:26AM

As in Tanzania as well...

Monday, November 25 2013 at 09:15

Six donor countries are demanding that the Tanzanian government gives back more than Sh600 million ($373,000) stolen by state officials under a programme meant to reform local government.

The Citizen on Sunday weekly has established that Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Japan and Germany have jointly written to the ministry of Finance asking for the refund.

In total, these countries donated 16 million euros (nearly Sh35bn, $21.7 million) from 2009 to 2012 to fund the roll-out of the second phase of the five-year Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP), which has a budget of Sh66.6bn.

They say the money was pilfered by corrupt government officials charged with implementing LGRP II.

There was no immediate reaction from the government. Finance Minister William Mgimwa said he was out of the country and unable to comment.

Efforts to reach his permanent secretary and senior staff at the Prime Minister’s office were futile

But the Finnish ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish embassy in Dar es Salaam both confirmed the development.

In a statement, Finland’s head of the Unit for Eastern and Western Africa, Ms Helena Airaksinen, said her country was demanding 80,000 euros (Sh175 million, $108,000) after a special audit commissioned by the donors.

According to a statement posted on the ministry’s website, this was the country’s contribution to the local authorities transformation programme.

“Payments to the support programme have been suspended,” Ms Airaksinen said, “and the whole programme will be terminated once the last investigations are completed in 2014.”

The expenses deemed unacceptable include cars purchased at exorbitant prices and excessive and unjustified per diem allowances and fees.

Ms Airaksinen added: “We don’t approve of the misuse of funds, therefore the issue is investigated thoroughly.

Suffer

However, the people who suffer the most are ordinary Tanzanians who need the basic services provided by municipalities.”

She described the case as “very regrettable” but went on to say that it proves that monitoring works.

Tanzanian authorities, she added, really want to cooperate in resolving the problem and correcting their shortcomings in financial management.

According to the Finnish official, donors will commission one more special audit that concentrates on operations in 2012–2013 and will audit the large purchases made.

In Dar es Salam, Swedish Deputy Head of Mission Maria van Berlekom said the use of donor funds for the LGRP II was frozen early this year.

While she did not reveal how much her country was demanding, she said Swedish support covered the period up to June 2013.

Ms Berlekom, who heads the Development Cooperation Division at the embassy, said the donor countries would file individual letters of demand after a response from the government.

“Corruption hits the poor the hardest and contributes to worsening of poverty in several ways,” she said.

Bongalongherb · 03-05-2014 10:41AM

@ DeanAustin

To the people who are saying the aid doesn't go to the people who need it, is there anything to back this up?

There is obviously...

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT has suspended direct aid to the Ugandan government, and launched an immediate investigation, after it was suggested that up to €4 million in aid offered by Ireland had been misappropriated.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore this afternoon said he had received a report from the Auditor General of Uganda, who had been carrying out a special investigation into the handling of aid funds by the Office of the Prime Minister.

In a statement the Department of Foreign Affairs said the auditor’s report found “significant financial mismanagement in relation to the Peace Recovery and Development Programme for Northern Uganda”, which had been funded by Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The report said up to €4 million in funding from Irish Aid had been transferred to unauthorised account belonging to the Office of the Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi.

DeanAustin · 03-05-2014 11:12AM

Bongalongherb wrote: »

@ DeanAustin

There is obviously...

So one example. Some posters were insinuating that no aid ever gets to the people that need it.

DeanAustin · 03-05-2014 11:14AM

Graces7 wrote: »

so you do what,apart from observing?

disaster tourists. ....

your dismissal of direct aid as firefighting...every meal matters to a hungry family.

being thankful is one thing; being generous is what matters

your first para is incredibly naive. yes, stuff gets robbed. shoeboxes too unless taken out by a big irishman who will defend them at eg customs.

the money we send to family goes direct to food suppliers we know and trust over long years. helps the local community that way too, buying there

workers in the big charities take huge salaries.

Did you even read my post?

Flippyfloppy · 03-05-2014 11:26AM

I think it is widely thought, and reported by whistleblowers that CEOs or what have you of the big charities take big Salarys from donations.

Couple that with the corrupt governments taking money from actual government aid, what chance do these people have when those in power are actively pilfering the funds! Very frustrating.

Grayson · 03-05-2014 11:28AM

DeanAustin wrote: »

So one example. Some posters were insinuating that no aid ever gets to the people that need it.

There's a woman I work with who managed to get our team to paint a crèche for charity. This is a local crèche that has funding and is far from rundown.
When it was suggested that maybe starving children could benefit more she said that money never reaches them.

That is a messed up attitude. Paint walls for kids who aren't in need rather than try to help kids who are.

There are some people who really have their heads up their own arses.

As for people who are upset about starving children on adverts... they're more upset that they have to watch those children than they are at the fact that the children are starving. That is some amount of self involved bull****.

kev1.3s · 03-05-2014 01:04PM

I remember as a young naive backpacker being approached by a woman on a Melbourne street wanting bank account details to donate Au$10 per month, she was really pushy and I had difficulty getting away from her but taught she was obviously passionate about it. Then I applied for a " marketing job " and lo and behold the same charity offering commission based work to collect money off Melbourne streets. Never give any of em a penny now and think they should be outlawed.

gw80 · 03-05-2014 02:05PM

Is all this funding and donations not retarding development and progress of some of these countries,
sometimes I think it might be better if we just stand back and say "sink or swim",let things progress naturally if you will, maybe some of these countries need to hit rock bottom for good people to come forward or for revolutions to boil up,:p
In giving aid and money we,er supporting the power hungry and supplying money for the tools of oppression.

Africa is resources rich, gold,oil,gas, diamonds, you name it they,ve got it, so if they cant get their **** together than maybe self annihilation is probably best,
but people being people, this will not be left happen and from the ashes of desolation might come a new society with more value on human life.

sorry, was starting to get a bit biblical there towards the end

mickydoomsux · 03-05-2014 02:07PM

kev1.3s wrote: »

I remember as a young naive backpacker being approached by a woman on a Melbourne street wanting bank account details to donate Au$10 per month, she was really pushy and I had difficulty getting away from her but taught she was obviously passionate about it. Then I applied for a " marketing job " and lo and behold the same charity offering commission based work to collect money off Melbourne streets. Never give any of em a penny now and think they should be outlawed.

Yeah, a lot of sales/marketing jobs are chugging.

Charity is big business.

kikidelvin · 04-05-2014 02:38AM

Charity begins at home.It makes me think that when a child needs expensive medical attention here in Ireland and friends and family are trying to raise the necessary funds they get no offers of help from these charities or the state .Whats going on?

Lady Spangles · 04-05-2014 02:42AM

kev1.3s wrote: »

I remember as a young naive backpacker being approached by a woman on a Melbourne street wanting bank account details to donate Au$10 per month, she was really pushy and I had difficulty getting away from her but taught she was obviously passionate about it. Then I applied for a " marketing job " and lo and behold the same charity offering commission based work to collect money off Melbourne streets. Never give any of em a penny now and think they should be outlawed.

Charity Muggers! There used to be swarms of them swooping down on people all over Belfast a few years ago. Hardly ever seem them now, so I think someone's finally done something about them round here.

kev1.3s · 04-05-2014 10:49AM

Lady Spangles wrote: »

Charity Muggers! There used to be swarms of them swooping down on people all over Belfast a few years ago. Hardly ever seem them now, so I think someone's finally done something about them round here.

You still see them down here on occasion, I've often seen them obstructing people's exit from collecting there social welfare payments at the post office which I find absolutely astounding! They are a pretty low class of person in my opinion, not much better than muggers scam artists.

Maireben · 04-05-2014 10:57AM

Totally agree with banning these ads. They cost thousands to put on TV at peak times. The whining voice of the narrators do my head in! Money better spent elsewhere but it really goes to the CEOs of these organisations. I've stopped giving. The pPresidents of these African countries live in luxury while their people starve. I hate to see people suffering but if we did not give their own governments would have to sort out the priblem

Amirani · 04-05-2014 11:03AM

kikidelvin wrote: »

Charity begins at home.It makes me think that when a child needs expensive medical attention here in Ireland and friends and family are trying to raise the necessary funds they get no offers of help from these charities or the state .Whats going on?

If people give money to African charities in order to support projects in Africa, it would probably be illegal for them to give that money to kids in Ireland. You can't control where people choose to send their charity money.

As regards state funding, they can't fund every case. The whataboutery argument is flawed, as you could just as much give out about spending on roads instead of medical care. Spending on foreign aid and medical care are two different things and should be evaluated on their own merits. Stopping foreign aid altogether would be a bit hypocritical given how many times Ireland has been a beneficiary of it throughout history.

NSAman · 04-05-2014 11:03AM

Ahhh the Aid Business..... neatly summed up as:

Poor People in rich countries, giving money to Rich people in poor countries..

Cynical view perhaps, but not a million miles off the mark.

donegal__road · 04-05-2014 12:35PM

Remember the impact the images of the famine in Ethiopia had on the public in the months preceding Live Aid?

MILLIONS of dollars raised through Bob Geldof's worldwide Live Aid project were siphoned from the mouths of Africa's starving into the arms of guerillas fighting the then Ethiopian government, according to a former senior Ethiopian rebel leader who has admitted taking part in the scam.. (who were supported by the CIA)

Link

Greenmachine · 04-05-2014 12:53PM

Don't like the shock tactic used by Concern when I am trying to eat my dinner.

kylith · 04-05-2014 02:04PM

gw80 wrote: »

Is all this funding and donations not retarding development and progress of some of these countries,
sometimes I think it might be better if we just stand back and say "sink or swim",let things progress naturally if you will, maybe some of these countries need to hit rock bottom for good people to come forward or for revolutions to boil up,:p
In giving aid and money we,er supporting the power hungry and supplying money for the tools of oppression.

Africa is resources rich, gold,oil,gas, diamonds, you name it they,ve got it, so if they cant get their **** together than maybe self annihilation is probably best,
but people being people, this will not be left happen and from the ashes of desolation might come a new society with more value on human life.

sorry, was starting to get a bit biblical there towards the end

A lot of Africa is very rich in natural resources. Unfortunately in a lot of cases these have been sold off to outside powers such as China in order to make a quick buck to buy weapons because all the corrupt governments care about is holding on to power. If they'd actually put resources into exploiting the mineral wealth of the country themselves the entire population would benefit.

Food aid is all well and good, but more would be done by supporting education and agriculture and by providing vaccinations and medical aid.

Shakespeare's Sister · 04-05-2014 02:09PM

Greenmachine wrote: »

Don't like the shock tactic used by Concern when I am trying to eat my dinner.

Well, McGonagle! Billy's dead! They slit his throat from ear to ear!

Hey! I'm tryin' to eat lunch here!

http://i.imgur.com/NxVzb5b.jpg

Pumpkinseeds · 04-05-2014 02:10PM

Karl Stein wrote: »

Poverty causes babies. Babies do not cause poverty.

In African countries the Catholic churches ban on using contraception also causes babies. Along with Aids and many other sexually transmitted diseases.

c_man · 04-05-2014 02:20PM

I don't give a cent to any third world focused charities. With all the corruption and 'management' fees along the way, the poor saps on the ground are last in line for whatever is left. I'm sure that some of the government aid given gets to the right people, but you always have the guys who'll spend the money on fighter jets and arms.

Mint Aero · 04-05-2014 02:53PM

Simply put you're supporting ethnic cleansing by donating. Money goes to the corrupt guys, starving children are still starving 50 years later from when my mammy was first bate by the teachers into collecting money.

Stop sending money? and they actually have a go of creating a normal place to live.

Pumpkinseeds · 04-05-2014 02:59PM

I don't donate to 3rd world charities. I've seen too many documentary interviews in those countries with front line people like doctors, who say that the corrupt governments are cherry picking aid and supplies to sell on the black market. So hospitals still don't have what they need and people still starve to death etc.

Billions must have been spent over the past 20 odd years in those counties and still nothing has really changed. Upsetting people by showing these ads is pointless. People aren't as gullible as they once were, we know where our donations are really going. Sadly until the corruption from the top down is eradicated nothing will change and I will continue to not donate.

Amirani · 04-05-2014 03:39PM

I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject: http://www.dambisamoyo.com/books-and-publications/book/dead-aid

In the past fifty years, more than $1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Has this assistance improved the lives of Africans? No. In fact, across the continent, the recipients of this aid are not better off as a result of it, but worse—much worse.

In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo describes the state of postwar development policy in Africa today and unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth.

In fact, poverty levels continue to escalate and growth rates have steadily declined—and millions continue to suffer. Provocatively drawing a sharp contrast between African countries that have rejected the aid route and prospered and others that have become aid-dependent and seen poverty increase, Moyo illuminates the way in which overreliance on aid has trapped developing nations in a vicious circle of aid dependency, corruption, market distortion, and further poverty, leaving them with nothing but the “need” for more aid.

Debunking the current model of international aid, Moyo offers a bold new road map for financing development of the world’s poorest countries that guarantees economic growth and a significant decline in poverty—without reliance on foreign aid or aid-related assistance.

Dead Aid is an unsettling yet optimistic work, a powerful challenge to the assumptions and arguments that support a profoundly misguided development policy in Africa. And it is a clarion call to a new, more hopeful vision of how to address the desperate poverty that plagues millions.

lertsnim · 04-05-2014 03:44PM

The cost of airing this ad would have treated 1000s of people with Glaucoma. That's what the ad I saw now should have said

suicide_circus · 04-05-2014 03:45PM

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

In African countries the Catholic churches ban on using contraception also causes babies. Along with Aids and many other sexually transmitted diseases.

Contrary to popular catholic bashing belief, the biggest obstacle to condom use in africa is a macho male dominated society combined with poverty and lack of education, not the pope.

kev1.3s · 04-05-2014 03:51PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

Contrary to popular catholic bashing belief, the biggest obstacle to condom use in africa is a macho male dominated society combined with poverty and lack of education, not the pope.

I agree but the church aren't exactly blameless either!

suicide_circus · 04-05-2014 04:18PM

kev1.3s wrote: »

I agree but the church aren't exactly blameless either!

Chuch missionaries have done more good in africa than the keyboard worriers, thats fo sho.

Amirani · 04-05-2014 04:20PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

Chuch missionaries have done more good in africa than the keyboard worriers, thats fo sho.

That's debatable.

Many church missionaries cause more harm than good. Mother Teresa for example.

kev1.3s · 04-05-2014 04:36PM

Diego Simeone wrote: »

That's debatable.

Many church missionaries cause more harm than good. Mother Teresa for example.

+1 whilst I'll admit I don't know much about Africa there involvement with the aboriginal people was certainly harmfull.
It is getting off the point somewhat.

Starving children of Africa TV ads

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