Africa - How Can We Help?
I have spent a lot of time contemplating this question over the last four months. As I travelled through the African continent, I tried to go with eyes and ears wide open. Africa is a large place and each country is unique, so on my first trip to this continent, I don’t claim to have done any more than merely scratch the surface and form my first impressions. I spent eight weeks travelling through Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique, and then seven weeks volunteering in Uganda. I did not visit countries that are currently suffering more extreme cases of famine or terrorist activity – their current need for help is different to the areas that I visited.
As I travelled, I spoke to the locals (albeit mostly in the tourism industry) and asked them many questions in an effort to understand their opinions, views and personal experiences of foreign aid, international volunteers, local efforts and biggest areas of need. I asked many questions and listened intently to all of their answers in an effort to try and form my own opinion on the question of “how can we help” – a question to which the answer turned out to be more complicated than I initially expected. Inevitably I also ended up identifying some things that don’t help, which I guess also forms part of the answer.
Interestingly, the answer that I keep coming back to, is that there is nothing better than being on the ground and seeing things with your own eyes. If foreigners want to help, the best way they can do so is to go to Africa (or other geographical region that you feel compelled to help!). You can go as a tourist and spend your money in the local economy (but don’t hand money, sweets or other donations out your bus window to kids who spend their days waiting on the edge of the road for tourist vehicles to pass, you’re only encouraging them to skip more school). You can also go as a volunteer and spend some time getting to know the people and their needs. Whichever way you choose to do it, the main thing is just go – at least once!!!
As a tourist, handing money to children at any time is dangerous – an Australian who has dedicated 20 years of his life to running an orphanage in Kenya told us of two kids from his orphanage who were given 1,000 Kenyan shillings ($10 USD) by a tourist, which they thought was enough money to run away with. They lasted less than 24 hours before being beaten up by street kids and brought back to the orphanage by the cops. If the well-meaning donor had given that money to the orphanage that cared for those kids, then it would have gone towards their care and saved them the negative street experience.
As a side note, this Australian couple has dedicated 20 years of their lives to the children of Nakuru, Kenya – not everyone can do this, but they were in a position to invest their time and love. On the flip side, they also need partners that can provide the financial support that allows them to run their orphanage and do their bit “on the ground”.
I asked various people what they thought about Westerners volunteering in orphanages, schools and other community projects. All thought it was beneficial, and generally believed that we could teach them new ways of doing things and help them develop faster. When you are there in person, you can show love and share knowledge – both of these things are equally as important as financial support. I just have to stress that before we can offer any magical solutions, we need to spend some time getting to understand their local culture, constraints, strengths and weaknesses.
A recurring theme that I have heard along the way is that most governments have a high level of corruption and the people don’t have a lot of faith and trust in their politicians. One Kenyan told me that they have a lot more faith in international organisations than any government initiatives that may be claiming to help the poor.
When we asked a youth from the biggest slum in Kenya (and the second biggest in all of Africa) if they had ever received any shoeboxes filled with Christmas presents from other countries, they told us matter-of-factly that those things never get to the intended recipients, they are always intercepted at the border and sold off for a profit of those that intercepted them. I’m not sure if this is the exception or the rule in these cases, but it certainly provided some food for thought and reminded me of the level of corruption that these nations are dealing with on a daily basis.
In Nepal (I know, I’ve changed continents now) I asked a tourist guide what they thought about aid provided by international organisations such as the Red Cross and he said that although they were very active after the earthquake, the allocation of the resources was still a very political process and ultimately the people who needed it the most did not necessarily benefit. He gave us an alternative example of a New Zealand couple who had spent one month living in his parents’ village and raised funds to install a water tank for the village. Although they had less funds, he strongly believed there was more impact in doing something locally and providing water for one village, which made a real difference in the lives of those villagers.
Obviously it’s not feasible for all of us to “just go” to Africa – and understandably some people want to know how they can help from afar. This was the question to which the answer ended up being a lot more complicated than I expected. Providing financial support is of course helpful, but only if you really know what the organisation is doing with your valuable money… and it’s hard to get a sense of that without having some sort of personal connection, or going to see things with your own eyes. Really the best advice I could give would be to travel there yourself, meet the people, see where you get the best vibe, what tugs at your heart strings, and make your own judgments. There are many worthwhile causes out there, the challenge is to find them – or create them yourself!!!
Two organisations that I came into contact with during my trip and which I believe are doing worthwhile work in education are:
East African Mission Orphanage – Kenya
www.eamo.co.ke
I visited this orphanage as part of my overland camping safari itinerary and spoke at length with the Australian director, Ralph Spinks, one evening. I have since sponsored a child from this orphanage so I’m putting my money where my mouth is!
St Paul KAASO (Kabira Adult Attention & School for Orphans) – Uganda
www.kaaso-uganda.org
This is where I spent six weeks volunteering and getting to know and love the community of Kabira and their children. They also have a child sponsorship program called Kiwi Sponsorships which is aimed at supporting the children through their secondary school education (and beyond) once they leave KAASO. More info on this initiative (and others!) is available on their website above.
If anyone feels compelled to visit either of these projects, or support them financially, please feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to answer any questions and help you figure out the best way you can help!
