I found myself this week reading Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo. I found it rather ironic to be so drawn to a book that basically said Affluent Non-Africans giving aid to the countries of Africa are perpetuating the problem. I am a white person who works with a Humanitarian Aid non-profit, and yet I whole heartedly agree with the entire book. This is why we are insistent at Global Connections that we are RETHINKING Humanitarian Aid–because trillions of dollars have been given in aid, and it’s hard to find improvement.
Moyo, a native of Zambia, points out that increases in Aid (specifically massive influxes of cash into governments) correlate with corruption, dependency, civil war, the destruction of social capital, inflation, exports, and elimination of the middle class—basically it enhances everything that impedes development.
So why are we still doing it?
Because we FEEL bad. So we continue to give alms. Now, alms are good, helping a friend in an emergency is good. But what if the emergency has been going on for 30 years? Many of us have personal friends who continually need emergency help, and you pity them, so you continue to give. Rarely are the big changes made that need to happen, you realize it has gotten worse, your aid hasn’t helped, in fact…..it’s made it worse.
This is a difficult series of questions to ask: Is the help I’m giving dead? Do my charitable acts do more than make me feel better? Has my gift demoralized the recipient in a way that doesn’t allow them to use their own innovation and skills in this situation? Please note, we’re not talking about helping someone out of immediate destruction, or never lending again. And the money talked about in Dead Aid is billions and billions of dollars. But it is important to figure out if we give to relieve our own guilt.
The continent of Africa is massive. And it’s filled with the most incredible natural resources. Many of the people who live there have more creative innovation in their pinky than I can dream of—surviving famine, HIV/AIDS, drought, life on $1 a day requires incredible entrepreneurship. So, we must ask: are our attempts to help equally creative and innovative, or do we just have money and pity? People do not need our pity. Maybe Rethinking our approach would be to Aid in Celebrating triumphs, struggles, innovation, economy, micro-enterprise….or maybe I’m just looking for a party.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Dr. Howard Thurman.
