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Developing Countries
"Developing" is a process of moving from traditional ways of life to modern ways. It should mean an improvement in living conditions for the average person. Over many centuries the USA has developed to our present degree of modern life (and change continues). Compare your daily life with that of your grandparents and their grandparents. The United States became independent in 1776, 181 years ahead of Ghana which was the first African country to become independent in 1957.
Although there are some modern areas scattered thru most countries of Africa, mostly in cities, most families live in rural areas within traditional cultures. Population is exploding and old methods of farming by hand cannot keep up with the need for food. Many families do not have enough food to eat and are hungry and undernourished. They must often wait for the next growing season for more food. Farms are small and families are large. Hoes and machetes are the main tools.
What constitutes development in Africa and how is it to be achieved? How much and what kind of outside assistance is actually helpful? One desirable goal is for the Africans to be able to help themselves. There are many international groups offering aid. Pictured on the Ghana card, for example, are alternate methods of carting which have been introduced to reduce the need for head-loading. One organization which has been working with peasant farmers in Ghana to help make them more productive and to improve nutrition is Self Help International of Waverly, Iowa.
 There is a way of providing aid in which you can participate: click on the link to the right and visit the Hunger Site to find out more.
Author Susan Woods was born in Belgian Congo 1918 to missionaries, educated in England, returned and spent most of her life in Africa. In her book, A String of Beads, she observed “Social problems are acutely present in lives of all who live and work in Africa today. An unprecedented social revolution is taking place. An ancient though complex culture is confronted with an equally complex and high tech culture with resulting pressures and suffering.”
She also states that anyone employing a workforce in Africa is immediately involved in these problems. In the old days, loyalty was to tribe and family. They provided security and work. Now the work place is source of daily bread. A new loyalty is needed but it isn’t there. Loyalty can’t be bought with money. All parties are inhibited by an inability to express themselves clearly, or have a fear to do so.
Paul Collier, former chief researcher for World Bank has continued his research as Director of The Center for Study of African Economics at Oxford. He writes in The Bottom Billion (2007) that for 40 years development challenge was a rich world of 1 billion facing a poor world of 5 billion people. A reversal has five billion prosperous or on the way to be and 1 billion are stuck on the bottom. They are trapped. 4 traps are described and he suggests approaches for overcoming them. Briefly he categorizes the traps as follows:
- Conflict
- Natural resources
- Being landlocked with bad neighbors
- Bad governance.
Each country has its own set of circumstances and requires a different approach. He advocates just supporting their efforts to help themselves, not trying to go in with a solution and money.
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