Unfortunately, I don't think it's for a 'good reason'. The parts of Africa at which this well-meaning beano is aimed are still riddled by corruption and there's scant chance that the benefit of more cash (already agreed), no debt repayments (already agreed), will reach the deserving members of the population than before.
What was interesting, was on the programme for the deaf this morning, two deaf Africans were discussing what to do: one, a deaf man from the Dem. Rep. of the Congo (prev. Zaire) did not favour aid being given to the governments at all, but only through an independent body which would apportion it directly to the aid agencies working in the various countries; the second, an Ethiopian woman, didn't favour ANY MORE AID at all! She preferred that the West lend its commercial expertise (albeit funding the people to do it) into guiding more of her countryfolk into learning how to set up businesses, know how to keep books, audit, and generally account for themselves. Her own mother had been assisted in this manner into setting up a now-thriving school, and she felt that the days of begging should be consigned to history.
I'm delighted to see non-political Africans saying how they think money should be spent, although it's often in the face of mortal danger - the Congolese gent petitioned for disability rights in then Zaire (and let's face it, this is an area woefully ignored because of stigma throughout Africa) and was threatened by government agents with being thrown, alive, from a helicopter if he persisted. He took asylum in Britain as the best option of continuing to expose Zairean corruption, and remain alive.
What was interesting, was on the programme for the deaf this morning, two deaf Africans were discussing what to do: one, a deaf man from the Dem. Rep. of the Congo (prev. Zaire) did not favour aid being given to the governments at all, but only through an independent body which would apportion it directly to the aid agencies working in the various countries; the second, an Ethiopian woman, didn't favour ANY MORE AID at all! She preferred that the West lend its commercial expertise (albeit funding the people to do it) into guiding more of her countryfolk into learning how to set up businesses, know how to keep books, audit, and generally account for themselves. Her own mother had been assisted in this manner into setting up a now-thriving school, and she felt that the days of begging should be consigned to history.
I'm delighted to see non-political Africans saying how they think money should be spent, although it's often in the face of mortal danger - the Congolese gent petitioned for disability rights in then Zaire (and let's face it, this is an area woefully ignored because of stigma throughout Africa) and was threatened by government agents with being thrown, alive, from a helicopter if he persisted. He took asylum in Britain as the best option of continuing to expose Zairean corruption, and remain alive.
