Reality Check on Dead Aid

I honestly think that we need to balance what is Aid and not Aid in Africa.
I have been following Dambisa Moyo debates on Dead Aid recently and just need to comment on certain of her ideas. Her recent debate with Jacqueline Novogratz made me think that she hasn’t got the Full picture of what is really going on in Africa, or simply she is not expressing them very well. The Image of Africa will not change by making Aid dead. Africa needs investment, partners and alliances. Africa needs Re-Branding.

Innovation cannot take place in Africa if people are not feed, watered or educated. Also the governments can only create innovative solutions if their people are Educated and got the resources. Some people in Africa need “Bednet” for Free, right now. Yes there is room for innovation, global partnership as Jacqueline said and I don’t see how a very poor and fragile man in the rural Tanzania, Ghana, or Kenya will not welcome a BedNet tomorrow morning, by the time Dambisa Moyo’s ideas on Dead Aid is implemented, that poor man has died. We need to balance what we are saying here as the reality is here; otherwise it will be on the detriment of millions of people living in the real Africa I know of. People with no money to live on in the rural Senegal right now will welcome anything in order to survive.

Whist I understand and concur with Dambisa Moyo that we need to look into how aid is distributed in Africa as a whole, how policies needs reviewing, how government needs to be accountable, how certain types of aid need to stop we cannot rule out Aid totally. This problem is a governance issue as Obama said recently in Ghana. Charities like Acumen, the Hunger Project, and the Gates Foundation are doing extraordinary well. They are not pumping money into African villages neither to governments; they are working with the local villages to help them become self-reliant. I spend lots of time in the Rural Africa where their work is tremendously appreciated and remarkable. These organisations are doing what the local governments are not doing. If they stopped the Aid Dambisa Moyo is talking about those people will suffer terribly. Aid is not 100% a total failure in Africa, especially in the rural village, the real failure is lack of clear policies, accountability, good governance, credibility and transparency. Aid to Africa has helps million of people in the last 30 years. Now, The real solution is Education. The Funds that are going into certain development programs such as Agriculture, R&D, New Tech, Infrastructure etc… need to have the emphasis Education and training on the people first. Yes Africa is not charitable and Education and Training are the right tools. Education and Training needs to be replaced by Donation and Aid. Aid Agencies needs to reset the terms and conditions with their local partners and have a control or monitoring system locally. They need to set up short-term project. They need the right resources on site. They must not be afraid in expressing their feeling honestly to their local partners. The right partners will understand that clarity and transparency is needed.

Africans are born Entrepreneurs, they are self-resilient, they fight for their lives every second, the ones with the right tools succeed and become self-sufficient.
If Acumen focuses its energy on social entrepreneurship meaning giving the right tools, it will be an excellent vehicle for a sustainable change to Africa.
For the last 4 years I have been reinventing the world of social entrepreneurship and dreams, and it does work. I am honoured to see what Jacqueline is doing, as I truly believe that she understand the real problems millions of voiceless African people are facing today. The Gate Foundation is doing very well too on their Agriculture programs. Truly remarkable stuff.

Mariéme

The Emotional entrepreneur

The journey to becoming an emotional entrepreneur starts with accepting responsibility for yourself and your role in society. It is essential that you decide to believe in the value of who you are and what you have to offer. Once you make this decision the emotional centres of your brain release an emotional energy that motivates you to give as if what you are doing is the most important thing in the world.

The world needs people like this- individuals who can articulate a shared idea of why they exist. Who they are and where they are going. There remains a continual need for the world that needs self reliant, self actualize and independent people at its core. Men and women with solid levels of self reliance and self belief are emotional independent, with means they can formulate and clarify vision and values and leverage the talent of others to achieve their full potential.

The Emotional Entrepreneurs are people that spend their times in helping others and making this world a better place. They exercise emotional management rather than micro- management. In a fast paced and pressured working world, people call out for individuals who are independent and can stand above the chaos and provide a coherent story their entrepreneurial lives.

A typical entrepreneur gets into entrepreneurship because he wants to start a Business or Venture. In the last couples of years I have seen the rise of certain type of entrepreneur. They are not looking to be wealthy, their egos are at level zero, and they are just interested in helping others to develop by transferring their skills.

They strive to contribute, collaborates, share, and learn. I found them supportive, giving and really open to new ideas. They are not imposing their ideas anymore, they are sociable and friendly. They use the social media platforms to make themselves heard. Emotional Entrepreneurs are invariably those who have developed the ability to respond constructively to crises and challenges for the benefits of the inexperienced.

Who they really are is forged by their actions. Watch out, they are rising!

Happy reading!

Investing in an Africa girl through Education

Millions of young girls in Africa are not educated. If you are familiar with African villages or have been to Africa you will know what I am talking about.
My Foundation is supporting the 10000 girls project in Senegal- Kaolack. We aim to put 10000 girls in school by 2013. We have more than 2000 girls in scholarship today and 7 centres where more than 50 teachers are teaching to our girls.

Let me tell you that a young girl life in Africa is extremely uncertain, she has a little choice if not educated she will be forced to marry an older man; she will die with HIV aids or cervical cancer. If not educated, she will be raped or force to prostitution, if not educated she will leave her country hoping for a better life outside her country, If not educated she will end up in the hands of bad people that will take full advantage of her, if not educated she will be lost and her life will be over. Her life will become increasingly difficult and she basically has no Future.

As an Franco-African woman, I know how education is important and have a firm believe that if girls in Africa are given an opportunity to get basic education, not only they will become self reliant, independent, but they will become self sufficient. Education will improve their lives big time.

A sustainable education program will keep them in Africa and with out a doubt you will increase their confidence.

Teaching a young African girl the basic of Education is rewarding.