How much money has been donated to Africa over the years? What's been achieved?

[Tito Beasley]

Ok, let me make the obvious and unfortunately necessary disclaimer, THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE. This is about a landmass and the societies that inhabit it, not the color of anyones skin. This is about economics, politics, and geography.

This is something I want to hear viewpoints, perspectives, theories, etc. about because to me there are just so many things that don't add up.


Let's start with a simple, two-part question. How much money has been donated to Africa over the last half century? And how much have those donations achieved?

Well, obviously we cannot put an exact number on the amount of money donated to Africa in the last 50 years. The question is not intended to be answered literally, but rather generally.


[quote]While Mr Bush has been severely criticised for the invasion of Iraq, his green credentials, and the general deterioration of relations with the rest of the world, his African record has won considerable support.

At the top of the list is the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar), initiated in 2003.

At the time just 50,000 Africans were on anti-retroviral drugs.

Since then the US has pumped $18bn (

[iamgine]

What's been achieved?

[dough]

So it HAS to beg some questions, chiefly among them: WHY is Africa still a shit hole? How much good are these donations doing? How much LONG TERM good are these donations doing? Who is at fault for the lack of efficiency when it comes to using donated money, the donor, the recipient, or both? Why are kids still getting eaten by bugs in these countries when SOOOOO much money has been given to stop it?

Africa has a lot of catching up to do. Europe had the same problems with struggles for power and influence just 100 years ago. The whole system in Africa is something which needs eons to get sorted out, just imagine a whole continent being divided into countries which don't have any business being... a country. The current set up of borders and centres of power are a huge reason why they're struggling. This can not be sorted out by a simple conference, money or even a short war.

The donations mostly are doing a lot for smaller communities. Still lots and lots of money is getting lost along the way. Governments and organisations are corrupt. The fault is not one person or one side. It's a much more delicate matter seeing as the whole system has grown to be corrupt and the ideas of helping certain cases like the West wants to...might just not work in Africa.

Next big problem: There's war all over the place, there's Muslim troops coming from the north, burning, raping and murdering, and shortly after installing sharia laws like their God didnt witness what they did the months prior to them gaining power. And the people flee. They end up in countries who already have their own problems to deal with. Over and over. And basically these issues juts move from one country to another. You'll have Ethiopia, the most stable country and basically the only African country which never was under Colonial suppression in history dealing with troops trying to enter their borders, financially and politically supporting other countries AND being one of the countries dealing with the most refugees in the area.

Another huge problem which is being underrated is the influence of Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern Muslim countries. Not only are they creating/supporting trouble and war in Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria (whether it be by sending weapons, financially supporting or political support for troops), they are waist deep in African issues. Idi Amin was in exile in Saudi Arabia. Still his nephew was leading rebels armies in Rwanda, Uganda and Congo. These troops were financially supported by funds from Saudi Arabia.

Remember the machetes the Tutsi used to kill of Hutus in Rwanda? China kept just sending huge shipments of machetes to Rwanda and Uganda, without asking. Point blank: there's a lot of financial and political stuff going on which will prevent Western powers from truly stepping in and helping out. Everybody knew what was happening in Rwanda, but the UN couldnt do shit and these Western powers like the US and UK decided it wasn't worth 'protecting democracy' there. The war basically ended when US marine fr

[Made From Dust]

If people cared about Africa they would donate nothing. Half the donations just become commodities to fight and kill over, plus Africa is breeding itself into starvation, environment destruction, genocide, religious radicalism, and war. The first lesson they need to learn is self sufficiency, until then donations just make enablers out of us for the status quo.

[KINGS2002CHAMPS]

If you exclude Egypt, FAR more money has been donated to Israel than the rest of Africa.

[SevereUpInHere]

Great post dough.

You obviously have a lot of knowledge on the subject. The countries that are doing better, South Africa etc... What sets them apart from the countries like Congo, Rawanda etc, that are having so many problems?

Is the inflation still ridiculous in (was it?) Kenya? with trillion dollar notes?

[Poodle]

i work with someone from Ghana. talking to him makes me realize we have a ignorant view of Africa. everything he tells me there are many parts of Africa that are developed and just like the U.S., and he said those undeveloped parts are like the boon docks of the U.S., out in nowhere. the stuff from Wild Kingdom, etc. with the tribes and villages is out in nowhere, but we all see this sstuff and think thats Africa when its the desolate pockets of Africa.

anyways i think the bigger issue with donations is how funds are allocated towards their purpose. i've heard a lot of stories of how 9/11 widow donations were overcompensated due to how many people donated, in relation to how many widows there were, making some of them very rich millionaires. i also think a lot of embezzlement goes on, especially in regards to us sending so much money to politicians/groups to allocate to help Africa, which i think a lot of it doesn't, and lines peoples pockets.

the one thing the guy from Ghana ALWAYS reinforces to me about Africa, and most countries like that(many of them go to other countries to work) is its ALL ABOUT MONEY. everyone is a crook, everyone asks for handouts, and money is the way of life. basically its normal there to give cops money to get off whatever they pulled you over for. its common knowledge thats how it works, and that people with money can get away with anything. there is tons of corruption over there, and he said thats one of the best things about the U.S. is everyone is held more accountable here.

i'm sure its more the somewhat impoverished/underdeveloped nations, but i think we're very naive in how quick we are to spend and help, and assume our donations are going towards helping those people/countries, much less a lot of other fad charities.

[Tito Beasley]

really appreciate the responses so far, thank you guys.

[ThemBombs]

If you exclude Egypt, FAR more money has been donated to Israel than the rest of Africa.

Israel isn't a part of Africa...

[Snoop_Cat]

I say we stop giving any money to Ghana if are; judging by their football team, they are ungrateful bastards and they're totally allocating the money we give them in horrendous and idiotic ways!




me

[dough]

I say we stop giving any money to Ghana if are; judging by their football team, they are ungrateful bastards and they're totally allocating the money we give them in horrendous and idiotic ways!




me

for such stupidity.

[dough]

Israel isn't a part of Africa...

That's not what he meant. He clearly meant Afric - Egypt. What's wrong with ISH?

[JtotheIzzo]

when people say 'corruption is the biggest problem in the world today and something we need to crack down on' Africa is the best example you can give.

too much of the money goes back into the politician's pockets. too much of the food aid goes to the armies. civil wars. failing infrastructure. no management. no planning. etc...

all a result of corruption.

most post 9/11 aid schemes are incentive laden (including the recent G20 one). if African countries fail to achieve certain benchmarks, the funding stops.

this is the only way to curb this problem.

that and the old adage about teaching a man to fish instead of giving him a fish.

[OldSkoolball#52]

If you exclude Egypt, FAR more money has been donated to Israel than the rest of Africa.

Ban

[OldSkoolball#52]

[QUOTE=Tito Beasley]. At the time just 50,000 Africans were on anti-retroviral drugs.

Since then the US has pumped $18bn (