Anna Crombie<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard the idea before that charity and aid as a whole are often
\nnot beneficial to third world places, especially Africa. But, I would always just
\npush it to the back of my mind. I was content with what I thought I could do to
\nhelp. During charity week I was particularly happy with myself, believing I
\nmade a true difference buying a grilled cheese everyday for lunch. I felt
\nselfless, knowing I could indulge in a delicious lunch while saving a family in
\nAfrica. With that in mind, it can be said justly that ignorance truly is bliss.
\nI was not aware of the major faults of charities such as Spread the Net.<\/p>\n
I was originally going to write an article on the theme of charity week, about how much aid the world needed and how we take things for granted in the community we live in, but then I heard about a potentially controversial presentation by a grade 12 student on the topic. Olivia Cummings was not promoting aid, but criticizing it.<\/p>\n
For an English project, she had read a book called Dead Aid, by
\nDambiso Moyo, that takes a deep look into the harmful economic implications of
\naid and how there is a better solution. I asked Olivia if we could get together
\nand discuss the topic because I had become very intrigued. Olivia told me about
\nthe reaction of her classmates to Spread the Net being a not-so-admirable
\ncharity. Almost everyone was initially shocked and offended. I was also taken
\nback, but felt enlightened from what she told me. I wanted to share this
\nknowledge. At first I was reluctant to write an article criticizing a charity
\nto which the school had just donated over 50 000 dollars, but I was also deeply
\nmotivated by what I had recently learned.<\/p>\n
The issue of charity aid is quite complex and has its roots in the
\neconomy. There are also many related issues that I could address, such as
\nvolunteer tourism and the similar harmful implications that accompany it. What
\nit all comes down to, however, is that in most of the cases aid does more harm
\nthan good, and Spread the Net is a perfect example of this. Other than some of
\nthe obvious problems with charities, such as the reliability of the charity,
\nthe core issue is that the sort of aid Spread the Net is giving is not really
\nhelping. The major problem with aid is that it is simply giving communities and
\nentire countries supplies and donations. It does not provide long-term
\nsolutions, but causes the communities to regress economically. Communities are
\nunable to sustain themselves and, therefore, become reliant on aid. Their
\neconomy is stopped from growing and development is hindered by donations.
\nOlivia presented a perfect illustration of the situation. \u201cNow picture living
\nin Africa. You\u2019re walking down the street and then stop at a booth at the side of the
\nroad, they\u2019re selling nets! Bed nets! You pick one up, have a nice chat with
\nthe owner of the shack, and then go on your way back to your house. You have
\njust supported that family in buying one of their nets. Now picture having a
\nplane fly in, and deliver free nets that everyone is trying to grab. What
\nhappens to that one family who had a steady income because of their bed net
\nbooth? It\u2019s killed, which ends up harming the economy of that community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, aid can be beneficial in certain situations, such as
\nemergency relief from natural disasters. However, all of Africa is not in the
\nmidst of constant natural disaster. In first world outsider\u2019s patronizing attempts
\nto help Africa, they are assuming Africans are completely helpless. The reality
\nis Africa is where the human race began and evolved. The continent is largely
\ndiverse and has the ability to develop and sustain itself, being rich of
\nnatural and human resources. But, with colonization, industrialized countries
\nhave exploited the non-industrialized and have created an economic inequality.
\nThe world is still quickly growing and developing which creates a larger gap
\nbetween the rich and poor, making it harder for African countries and communities
\nto escape poverty. If manufactured products are provided to them as a form of
\ncharity, instead of resources and loans for them to create their own products
\nand jobs, then their economy cannot develop independently. One can argue that
\ncharities and aid are simply trying to help, but how is it possible that, after
\nalmost a century of sending aid to Africa and no significant change occurring, that a clear problem and possible solutions have not arisen. As a developed global community with resources and the knowledge to understand the situation and make a change, we continue to ignore it and carry on the damage.<\/p>\n
The goal of this article was not to offend anyone but to raise
\nawareness. North Toronto holds great power in charity week and should apply it
\nwisely. In the past the school has chosen charities that are local but most
\nrecently has chosen the sort of aid giving charities that are harmful. We may
\nbelieve that we are helping a better, greater cause by working with
\ninternational charities, but, in reality, our efforts as a school would be put
\nto better use locally. We cannot see the effect and impact we make on third
\nworld countries. To most of us, they are alien places and we cannot fully understand
\nwhat we are doing for or to them. So why not put our efforts where we can
\nunderstand the impact and know we are making a positive difference?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Anna Crombie I\u2019ve heard the idea before that charity and aid as a whole are often not beneficial to third world places, especially Africa. But, I would always just push it to the back of my mind. I was … Continue reading