Should we drop foreign aid to Africa? [VIDEO]

steddyeddy wrote: »

I spent a lot of time over in East Africa working with volunteer projects. Little Cuchulain is spot on. Find a project you like and donate to that. Find someone over there who runs a school, orphanage or prison and ask them what they need. They will be honest (more honest than some charity organisations anyway). So find someone local who you can trust and fund them.

This is really the only true way to make sure your money goes to a worthwhile cause. I feel that the grass roots charity organisations in Africa are the unsung heroes. A lot of them live from hostel dorms (met a few in Kampala who had been camping for 2 years!) or other basic and cheerful style accomodation. Working hard for little monetary reward, accept the fruits of bettering the education of the locals. Compare that to the wastes of space who clog up the Addis Sheraton at about $300-500 per night and who do little else but talk about getting things done, without ever really putting it into any meaningful practice. A lot of big NGOs simply masquerade as charities, its a nice cash cow for them and anything else is just an after thought.

steddyeddy wrote: »

Well Tanzania and what I could see of the Congo without getting killed is full of Chinese government officials and industry reps. They're cleaning out the resources of one of the most impoverished continents on earth. They refer to the locals as racist names and don't hire locals. They just take. I met people in Tanzania who said they were planning to strike back and I make no apology for saying I hope they hit them hard enough that they don't come back.

The Chinese have done some great work in improving road infrastructure in Africa, particularly Sudan (15 years ago roads in Northern Sudan were woeful...even by African standards). However I think the decision to not hire locals should not have been allowed in the first place by the respective governments. It was an opportunity to increase employment and better the economic circumstances of locals that has been squandered. Sure Ethiopian Airlines are now hiring Chinese when these jobs could be going to Ethiopians. A shame really.