Another African here! I am from Burundi-central Africa and English is my 4th language:). So any grammatical error should be forgiven based on my linguistic challenge.

I think people at One have very laudable intentions and we appreciate it. However, someone said that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” and One should heed that saying too. If aid was “SMART” we wouldn’t be having this debate. Just because 2 million people are surviving due to donated pharmaceutical products made by western pharmaceuticals companies owned by western investors doesn’t make it so smart. Countries in Africa have requested to produce generic drugs and at a cheaper price, and you can guess the answer to that audacious request.

When One applauds Malawi for food security, it is not because but despite SMART aid. Here are the facts. When Malawi was facing a famine, the president decided to subsidize fertilizers to Malawian farmers. The whole western world threatened and actually applied sanctions-cutting off aid, because he has dared to challenge the AID system which says that African will receive surplus from western countries but can not subsidize their farmers which will constitute unfair trade against the poor western farmers. The real problem was fertilizer’s subsidies cut into profit margins of fertilizer industries. That is such an injustice that most western countries could not stand. Regardless, Malawi went ahead and the results are known: there is no hunger in Malawi and the success is neither sheer luck-gain rain- or AID assistance. It is because one African country stood up and answered to the interest of its own people despite opposition from the Western interests. So imagine if more countries would implement programs geared toward answering their own constituencies.

So, there is very much room for debate on whether AID works or not. And people and organizations with good intentions should come to grip with the idea that someday Africans will not welcome those big gas guzzlers SUV(we see them in a every remote village of Burundi) going around preaching about need for more aid money. Like a parent who’s child is maturing and ready to leave home, instead of hanging on, western donors should make way to new African leaders and allow them to experiment with other ways of socio-economic development. That is why people like Kibaya and Dambisa Moyo are refreshing to hear.

Nothing last forever, even SMART aid. it’s time for change!

I’ve never thought of it that way. . Probably because it doesn’t represent the majority of people that are in need of the aid, but you make a good point. My only question is, why post it on a blog for the “One”? We’re you trying to start a fight?

“Bad” aid didn’t originate from this organization, and at least here they’re raising money privately, it’s not taxpayer funded. Maybe you should find the U.N.’s blog and yell at them, they started it! I really do agree with what you said, I just think that there are much more effective ways to get that point across. Like starting an organization, and getting other people to share your ideas through events and funding! I’ll join!

Sound familiar? See, One is not that bad, probably started out the same way your cause will. Follow through with it, make a difference. Don’t be angry with those that have, leave Debbie K. alone.

All Good Wishes

Further, I am curious as to how African countries plan to end the restrictive trade policies or purchase the medicines they have thusfar been unable to buy, how they plan to pay back the billions and billions of dollars in loans they have thusfar been unable to pay back, and still invest in the infrastructure and internal framework that they will need if an approach such as the one you suggest is to work.

I don’t think anyone at ONE would argue that Africa should be kept on aid forever and ever. That’s why it’s development aid. It’s aimed at helping a country while it develops. Because even inf, say, DR congo, wants to start making use of tis resources, there has to be a market, and currently there is none, which is where aid organizations like ONE come in. And until Africa can stand on its own feet entirely, someone must ensure that a majority of its children and teachers and farmers don’t die…as even the poorest of economists can tell you that without food, medicine, education, or children, a country can’t survive too long.

You can teach a man to fish, or allow a man to fish to feed himself, and this is noble, but if you care about the man’s outcome, you must feed him while he learns or finds his equipment, because otherwise, he’ll be just as dead.

Now, feel free to respond to the corrected version.

Disagreeing with someone’s expressed point of view is NOT preventing them from expressing that point of view.

And it is ridiculous for you, or anybody else that would try to come into this thread to agree with you, to suggest that a disagreement with a viewpoint equals PREVENTION OF THE EXPRESSION OF THAT VIEWPOINT.