Africans Can Do It For Themselves

AFRICA, the continent of starvation, a continent of disease, a continent of povertyÂ… the list goes on.Is this how Africa will be known forever? Are we going to change this continent or are we accepting the fact that we just cannot manage it? We read about malaria, the killer disease, but we cannot manage it.

We want rain but we cannot maintain the mosquitoes. Other continents can manage this disease but not Africa.That is why God cannot bless us with good rains.We have the wealth – we export to other countries but we cannot create wealth for ourselves.The continent is dying of starvation; nothing to eat.No buying power.And we close our eyes and pretend nothing is happening.We call ourselves Africans but if there is a problem somewhere on our continent, we ignore it.We wait for the UN and the international community to do something.If we can only know how it feels to go hungry …seeing your children starve and not being able to feed them? I experienced this for a few months in another African country and I know what I am talking about.Do we only intervene in times of war? Like help to fight with Kabila and his army? Where is the African leadership and where is the AU or the OAU? Why do we have these organisations? To sit and talk and set up offices that are useless? Where are the Christians – are we only making noises? We pray in tongues but we cannot even discern when our neighbour is hungry and needs bread.We employ security guards outside our church buildings and would not even greet him or give him a piece of bread.Why are we not doing anything about the education system? There are many things we can do.Namibians, if you can buy a newspaper you can certainly afford to donate N$1 to the Red Cross.Let us sow a seed in people’s lives.I think Air Namibia can also help by transporting food to these affected areas in Africa.Let us not wait for the other continents to come and feed us.I am sure we are capable of doing it ourselves.Concerned African WindhoekOther continents can manage this disease but not Africa.That is why God cannot bless us with good rains.We have the wealth – we export to other countries but we cannot create wealth for ourselves.The continent is dying of starvation; nothing to eat.No buying power.And we close our eyes and pretend nothing is happening.We call ourselves Africans but if there is a problem somewhere on our continent, we ignore it.We wait for the UN and the international community to do something.If we can only know how it feels to go hungry …seeing your children starve and not being able to feed them? I experienced this for a few months in another African country and I know what I am talking about.Do we only intervene in times of war? Like help to fight with Kabila and his army? Where is the African leadership and where is the AU or the OAU? Why do we have these organisations? To sit and talk and set up offices that are useless? Where are the Christians – are we only making noises? We pray in tongues but we cannot even discern when our neighbour is hungry and needs bread.We employ security guards outside our church buildings and would not even greet him or give him a piece of bread.Why are we not doing anything about the education system? There are many things we can do.Namibians, if you can buy a newspaper you can certainly afford to donate N$1 to the Red Cross.Let us sow a seed in people’s lives.I think Air Namibia can also help by transporting food to these affected areas in Africa.Let us not wait for the other continents to come and feed us.I am sure we are capable of doing it ourselves.Concerned African Windhoek