Sideways News

Here’s a thought: why not, for once, listen to Africans when it comes to development aid. Is it helpful? Dysfunctional? Offensive perhaps?

“Why do Western people always apply their own standards to people from developing countries? If you haven’t been to school, you’re not ‘developed’  or ‘independent’ in their view. Well, I know masses of illiterate people in my country who made it to respected elders or chairmen. Equally, I know masses of Western ‘developed’ people with degrees who are stuck in a boring job and feel undervalued.” Good point, Mr Paul Mbikayi!

The white debate
Whether development aid is "hot or not" has always been an issue, at least in the Netherlands. I don’t expect someone to find a solid answer to it any time soon either. So far, the debate has mainly been fueled by arguments from politicians, scholars and aid organisations.

All very "white", until Dambisa Moyo stepped in. Yes, she went to both Oxford and Harvard, but also grew up in Lusaka, Zambia. In her best-selling opinion, aid is dead. Instead, she argues for more innovative ways for Africa to finance development, including trade with China, accessing the capital markets, and microfinance.

Rate before giving aid
Perhaps her vision won’t work either, but at least she opened up the discussion to others. Last week I joined a public debate on the effectiveness of aid. In the panel: a former child soldier from South Sudan, a business woman of Ethiopian and Eritrean descent and a woman from the Somali diaspora.

Not that they all agreed, oh no. Fatumo Farah from Somalia made a strong case for rating development countries. Only those who made it to the top of the list, should receive financial aid.

From child soldier to law student
Kon Kelei, who left his native South Sudan and made the switch from child soldier to law student, thought aid was a polite form of keeping countries dependent. “It’s great when foreign organisations come to build bridges, but what will happen in a few years, when the bridge needs repairing but those who built it are back in their own country?”

He thinks local knowledge should be stimulated. “After my studies, I will go back to South Sudan. I know the culture, and in my town people will know me. With my Sudanese background and Western education, I’m much more effective than any aid worker. When people from my community don’t agree with my proposal, they will frankly tell me it’s bullshit. With a foreigner, that’s not done, because Sudanese will always treat a foreign visitor with respect. It’s polite, but not a good base for structural improvements and equal relationships.”

Give me my crocodile!
Back to Paul Mbikayi from Congo, who frequently interrupted the debate with striking one-liners. “Listen, say I’ve been eating crocodile my entire life. Then some foreigner comes in and says he wants to help me, but I have to eat steak from now on, because he thinks it’s better for me. That’s exactly what’s currently happening with conditional aid. No! I want to eat my crocodile whilst we figure out a joint solution for my country.”