Teach a man to fish..

They say there is no news like bad news. Maybe that explains all the depressing stories you hear or read or watch about crime, disasters, riots, and such. Take Africa for example. On the surface, with the war zones, and ethnic conflicts, and illegal trade in ivory, diamonds, it seems like it was made for news.

And then you come across an interesting article, like this one, almost by accident..
http://www.good.is/post/african-dynamo/?GT1=48001

Gives one some perspective. Yes, it's a feel good story, but I'm rooting for William Kamkwamba, the Malawian kid.

And in this is a lesson. This Chinese proverb encapsulates it perfectly: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day! Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime!"

Ok, so!? The developed world looks on at Africa with pity. And they feel bad. To assuage their guilt or out of a genuine sense of good, they send aid, sometimes manifested as food, medicines, clothes, or just plain monetary aid. Some of which winds its way to the people but a lot of which winds up lining the pockets of the rich and the powerful. While there is a place for charity in the world, in the long run, you're not doing much to further the development and progress of the place.

Why not?! Because when you dole out aid, like you're giving alms to a beggar, you're just teaching people to put out their hands. You need to trade with the continent, treat them as equals, that is true charity. Because that creates jobs, and jobs create prosperity, and so on and so forth. That will be truly empowering people.