The issue of international aid has received quite a lot of press coverage recently and not all of it was good. Economic uncertainty and austerity measures have caused many people to ask should charity rather not start at home. Here are some views explaining why The build school in Africa campaign, is worthy of support.
Some people fear that financial support sometimes will not get to the people for whom it is meant. The causes for this vary considerably depending on the type of charity and where in the world it is operating.
Corruption is top of the list for many people. People are influenced in their giving by allegations that money or material aid is being syphoned off by corrupt officials for personal gain. Cases of donated food like flour or cooking oil being sold on the black market are well documented. Alternatively where money changes hands, there is always the potential for theft, corruption and fraud. The comparison between people walking for days to beg for meagre rations or medical care and the image of a corrupt leader being chauffeur driven in a luxury limousine is a stark contrast.
Military conflict is sometimes occurs within and between poorer countries. In such periods international aid materials have been known to be hijacked by one party and literally used as a means to blackmail others in the conflict. Natural phenomena such as earthquakes, floods or hurricanes also severely impact against getting aid to where it is needed.
The question that frequently also gets asked is why, after countless years of providing aid, do things never seem to get better. One solution can be found in the old proverb that says if you give a man a fish, then you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. If there is not a serious educational thrust at the center of our aid programs, then the cycle of dependency will never be broken.
It is true to say that simply educating people will not immediately change things and the need for food programs and medical care during times of crisis, will still continue for some time. Similarly the amazing efforts of those conducting inoculation programs will probably still have to continue for some time to come.
The only initiative with any chance of turning the tide in the long term, is education, which is generally given scant regard. Frequently more money is spent on the military and arms than on education and this is often to prop up ineffective and insecure governments, their leaders, or worse dictators. The Generals of armies have neither the capacity or the will to produce doctors, engineers, farmers, computer programmers, managers and most importantly, more effective teachers. These job categories are but a few of the many needed to nurture a nation from recipients of aid to taking charge of their own destiny.
These are complex issues which will take time to fix, but if they are to be solved, the answers must surely be in hands of the educators. An effective tiered system will enlighten and inspire people, enabling them to see a brighter future. For these reasons The build school in Africa project is so critical.
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