Why is it that every major Intl. organization over the last 40 years has failed to make Africa any better?

Question

Intl. organizations have received tens of Billions of dollars in aid from all over the world & yet Africa is no better now than it was 40 years ago & in many cases it's worse. Why is that?

And is it time for Africans to make Africa better & not the White man?

Answer 1

because the Africans have to want to make their countries a better place first.

Answer 2

I am not sure that you are right in the first place.  Most of the aid has been relief aid so people who would have died did not and maybe that will help in the long run.  A lot is being done to combat malaria, leprosy and HIV which are terrible issues in the continent - again if that had not been done these would be far more widespread than they are.

A lot is being done by organisations like practical Action to provide education and technology that does fit local resources and culture and aid agencies are learning how to do this better all the time.

The other posters who mention corruption are absolutely right.  Especially in the more dictatorial and militaristic nations, much of the aid is siphoned off but the West goes on pouring it in.  

Part of the problem is the political one - many African leaders have a vested interest in keeping their people poor - where this does not happen those countries are significantly better off than they were 50 years ago. And proud of it.

Another part is that you are talking about a billion people (no-one actually knows how many) in 54 jurisdictions some of which have their own autonomous provinces. So if the rich nations give $50 billion a year in privately (charitable) and publicly funded aid that is only $50 a person - not a lot really.

Answer 3

What every organization has strived to do is insert their way of life in a culture that favors tribal living. They survived for thousands of years without interference. I say let them live as they wish.

Answer 4

Because good news=no news and bad news=sales so you never hear the improvements or when things go better anywhere from U.S. newsrooms only how America is s******g up the world and so on and so forth, i.e. America is Evil and so forth.

Answer 5

Countries in Africa have their own government officials and Kings and Presidents, which like some other places want it (money)all for themselves. I visited many places in Africa two years ago and they are as modern as the United States.