30 Years and the african economy is still no better...

zarf2007

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/oct/15/ethiopia-appeals-international-assistance-food-insecurity

What was the point of Band Aid and all other relief efforts when we are just tipping money into a bottomless pit?

and yet again here is the west's answer:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-11-11/uk-pledges-200m-to-help-africa-tackle-migration-crisis/

when is the government going to wake up and realise that these countries are beyond help while corruption sees the majority of aid in the back pockets of those in power......

I think unfortunately giving money to africa is the equivalent to bailing out the greeks, a pointless expensive exercise in futility...

stator

Some countries like Ethiopia and Eritrea might be considered lost causes and it might be more productive to try and convince people to move to more fertile land, but there are also plenty of places in Africa where aid has done a lot of good.

CLAPTON

the biggest beneficiaries of foreign aid has been the swiss banks and arms manufactures

Linton

Suggest you look here at the GDP/capita growth rate, unfortunately the data is only up to 2010. Many african countries, including Ethiopia, have shown a significantly higher recent growth rate than the UK,US and other "developed" countries.

The linked piece on Ethiopia refers to crop failure due to drought, not to general development. As, if I remember correctly, was the initial Band Aid appeal.

zarf2007

Linton wrote: »

Suggest you look here at the GDP/capita growth rate, unfortunately the data is only up to 2010. Many african countries, including Ethiopia, have shown a significantly higher recent growth rate than the UK,US and other "developed" countries.

The linked piece on Ethiopia refers to crop failure due to drought, not to general development. As, if I remember correctly, was the initial Band Aid appeal.

Then why are we still having to throw money at them?

cells

zarf2007 wrote: »

Then why are we still having to throw money at them?

Yegna, a girlband dubbed the Ethiopian ‘Spice Girls’, was given £3.8m by the Department for International Development. It is intended to empower teenage girls through song.

In a country where the daily wage is about £1

zarf2007

cells wrote: »

Yegna, a girlband dubbed the Ethiopian ‘Spice Girls’, was given £3.8m by the Department for International Development. It is intended to empower teenage girls through song.

In a country where the daily wage is about £1

I dunno what makes me more mad, this or the deadbeat who ran kids company while fleecing the taxpayers of millions.

cells

zarf2007 wrote: »

I dunno what makes me more mad, this or the deadbeat who ran kids company while fleecing the taxpayers of millions.

Britain is set to give an extra £16m to a foreign aid to a project that funded Ethiopia’s version of the Spice Girls, despite warnings that it will be a waste of money.

zarf2007

stator wrote: »

Some countries like Ethiopia and Eritrea might be considered lost causes and it might be more productive to try and convince people to move to more fertile land, but there are also plenty of places in Africa where aid has done a lot of good.

I suppose we should look to South Africa.....that's been a roaring success...

cells

zarf2007 wrote: »

I dunno what makes me more mad, this or the deadbeat who ran kids company while fleecing the taxpayers of millions.

Maybe teach them English or french and get them on the net or try to develop tourism

I don't mind foreign aid tbh, as £1 spent in Ethiopia is probably worth £100 spent here. Even if its to fund their spice girls that money will filter though to a lot of people there and will do some good

Jonbvn

Having lived in Africa for 10 years, I would say that the only people who can save Africa are Africans themselves.

Until Africans stop accepting nonsense govt's then all bets are off...

Of course his tossness Bono et al will still continue to make political capital while they can