The world of today is mostly development-oriented. At the same time, poverty, violence and injustice arise and are even worse in some parts of the world. Born in Africa, I thought abroad was upper floor as I saw people flying, I never thought they would come back to the ground! I thought of this for not a short time.
My first time to fly and many more afterwards to Europe, Asia and the United States, I discovered
that Earth is all the same everywhere, but only the people present in any given place make it look different from other places, or choose to give it more or less value.
I was surprised to walk out of the train in Belgium and bump into a beggar laying a hand for me to
give a coin! I never thought the United States had homeless people.
The truth about Africa is told and even exaggerated but only the good side of developed countries is told and even exaggerated.
A question to an African: do you sleep in trees? No, I have my own house. Where as many from
developed countries don’t even dream owning one of their own. The main African problem, struggle and challenge is really not poverty, HIV or Ebola, but its leadership and strategic planning.
The reality is that all men are created equal and the privilege we get is from what our ancestors have done. What many people acknowledge about America is the freedom to work towards one’s dreams with no influence or pressure, be it political or from the society.
Development is a matter of vision, determination and hard work. If you have dreams but don’t work
towards them, you will simply be a day-dreamer and if you work with no vision, you will find yourself wandering around the very same point.
However, a favorable environment is very crucial in fostering success. Keep sending donations is the least generous thing that developed countries should do for Africa. Africa has potential, it has resources, it has only been victim of its strategic planning.
I still can’t see the bright future of Africa if young people are only passionate about buying themselves the latest iPhone and sneakers or hair cuts or the upcoming concert in town, TV show or movie series. The American dream is real and alive but only the brave men and the fortunate see it coming true in their lives.
The African challenge is there to be defeated and not to defeat us. Know your value and defend it for others to respect you. If you can’t define yourself, everyone will define you the way they want. We want the best for Africa and we can see it coming true by having a positive attitude and supporting each other, rebuking only the one who does wrong and cheering all those who do well.
Feature image courtesy of http://ichallenge.com/.
I think the bigger challenge is not worrying about the rest of the world and focusing on our own priorities. The poor man’s needs in New York City are not the same as the poor man’s needs in Dar-es-Salaam.
Thanks dear Knightpen for your feedback.
However, the sustainable way to help the poor man in Dar es Salaam can be addressed in looking far back on what caused that poverty and address the cause rather than the poverty itself.
Thank you for sharing this with us, For me the better way to handle Africa’s probls is to think globally and learn from what and how others have solved the same issue , try to contextualize and go for it. Nway as EAC we have much in common and we need to learn one from an other and make sure we are moving forward as a whole, nevertheless this shall, soon enough, take these countries to a brighter future, of which we are sometimes afraid of thinking .
Thanks Diallo. Merry Xmass and happy new year to you all guys.