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.
Amongst the criticisms are that money often does not reach the people it is intended to help. The reasons this may happen differ widely between the type and nature of the charity, the country where it operates and external factors.
For many the concerns revolve around corruption. Donors become reluctant to support a charity when there is a risk that resources may be misappropriated. Reports of foodstuffs intended for needy victims being sold on black markets for the personal gain of corrupt officials have been substantiated. Dealings with cash are prone to go wrong due to greedy acts of fraud and theft by corrupt officials. The sufferings of an impoverished nation stand in severe contrast to the opulent lifestyles enjoyed by many of their so called leaders.
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.
People who have been giving to charity for long periods might wonder why after so much being provided do circumstances not seem to improve. The old adage about simply giving people some fish as opposed to showing them how to fish might point the way to solving this problem. Unless education becomes the central theme of our aid initiatives, it is unlikely that a permanent solution will ever be found.
Admittedly, education is not going to replace traditional aid packages overnight. There will still be a need for nutritional support during times of drought and famine. The great work done through inoculation campaigns and emergency health care teams, still have some way to go and may never be completely withdrawn.
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.
There is no quick or easy fix to these problems and the solution is certainly far off in the distant future, but the solution lies undoubtedly in the many tiers of education. This is the only means by which enlightenment, vision and inspiration will occur and why The build school in Africa initiative is so vital.
Amongst the criticisms are that money often does not reach the people it is intended to help. The reasons this may happen differ widely between the type and nature of the charity, the country where it operates and external factors.
For many the concerns revolve around corruption. Donors become reluctant to support a charity when there is a risk that resources may be misappropriated. Reports of foodstuffs intended for needy victims being sold on black markets for the personal gain of corrupt officials have been substantiated. Dealings with cash are prone to go wrong due to greedy acts of fraud and theft by corrupt officials. The sufferings of an impoverished nation stand in severe contrast to the opulent lifestyles enjoyed by many of their so called leaders.
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.
People who have been giving to charity for long periods might wonder why after so much being provided do circumstances not seem to improve. The old adage about simply giving people some fish as opposed to showing them how to fish might point the way to solving this problem. Unless education becomes the central theme of our aid initiatives, it is unlikely that a permanent solution will ever be found.
Admittedly, education is not going to replace traditional aid packages overnight. There will still be a need for nutritional support during times of drought and famine. The great work done through inoculation campaigns and emergency health care teams, still have some way to go and may never be completely withdrawn.
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.
There is no quick or easy fix to these problems and the solution is certainly far off in the distant future, but the solution lies undoubtedly in the many tiers of education. This is the only means by which enlightenment, vision and inspiration will occur and why The build school in Africa initiative is so vital.
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