One African voice amongst a billion » Philanthropy

From Activist to President: Why Youssou Ndour shouldn’t be President of Senegal

marieme — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:30:43 +0000

Don’t get me wrong, I like Youssou Ndour. I have met him. I think he is a man of high calibre with extensive influence in Senegal and an international profile. His music has spoken to an entire generation and been heard around the world. He has never hesitated to raise his voice about social injustice and matters that touch the Senegalese grassroots. He is an entrepreneur who has invested in his country, creating jobs. In short, Youssou plays a positive role in Senegalese society.

But after weeks of speculation, I was surprised and disappointed to hear him announce on his own TV station his decision to stand for president of Senegal. It’s not that I think his apparent ambition is bad in itself. But I think that his candidacy is unlikely to succeed. And if it did, I do not think he is the right candidate for the job. If he won, his role would become more difficult, more overtly political – in the bad sense. He is far more valuable to Senegal as an activist than as an officially elected politician.

Civil society in Senegal is weak. It lacks direction and is full of nostalgia for the post-colonial renaissance of “l’Afrique noire”. People dream of change but there are few credible actors of change. Senegalese politics is a corrupt and shambolic family-run affair, with 173 parties jostling for power and influence. Certain political leaders don’t even understand their own manifestos, some of which are written in France and sent to them. Senegalese society is also dominated by a deeply entrenched class system, in which a small number of wealthy families and religious leaders carry great influence. The wider population, in particular the younger generation, are also weary of self-serving politicians and their unkept promises. The sad fact is that the country is divided and has never fully recovered since the departure of Léopold Sédar Senghor thirty years ago.

The class system is one of the biggest obstacles Youssou Ndour would need to overcome. Growing up as a young girl in Dakar, I used to see him regularly when he visited my Aunt Fatou Sall’s home. She was a wealthy and influential woman in Senegal and a fan of Youssou’s music. Her faith in him prompted her to contribute financially to his career. Many of his songs pay tribute to my family in Senegal. This patronage and that of other tightly-linked “good-blood” families in the past is a problem today; he needs their support but they will see him as opportunistic and greedy – not to mention under-qualified – and their backing would in any case weaken his independence and therefore his credibility.

The same goes for the religious leaders. No candidate is credible without their support. But to obtain it he would inevitably corrupt himself.

Then there is the Diaspora. Money talks in Senegal, and the Mourides and Tidjanes brotherhoods contribute around 1.4 BILLION US$ to the Senegalese economy each year. And they have also supported his career in the past.

And finally he would need to attract the younger generation. They are being inspired by developments elsewhere in the world – the Occupy movement and the Arab Spring in particular – and are beginning to flex their muscles by demonstrating, and not just on social media like Facebook and Twitter. Their support would be essential, but it would not sit easily with that of the old elites.

One thing that all these forces have in common is a doubt about his qualifications to do the job. Senegalese people were disappointed yesterday by his interview on TV5, when he failed to elaborate clearly on his policies. This is a legitimate concern and one he tries to address in his declaration. But a failure to lay out coherent policies will quickly sink his chances.

I believe his desire to stand has sound motivations, but I am not sure if his celebrity status will enable him to attract enough votes to win. Also, his need for support from entrenched secular elites, religious conservatives and the young would force him into fatal compromises. Finally, there are legitimate doubts within the Senegalese middle class and the youth about his ability to do the job.

Youssou Ndour is a unique figure in Senegalese culture. Most activists in Senegal are penniless and relatively powerless, but Youssou Ndour has the ear of many; a musician with entrepreneurial acumen, activism in his heart and mind, and positions on the advisory boards of various platforms for change and African development that enable him to influence policy while retaining political independence. Senegal wants and needs him. But he is far more valuable to his country in the role of a prominent and politically independent activist than as a president. I hope he will stand down.

Get Shareaholic

My Top 50 Africans of the year 2011

marieme — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:13:16 +0000

“Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up.” President Obama 2009

Here is the list of some of the amazing people we were lucky enough to encounter in 2011. As an African I am so proud to know them. They are making difference in their own ways and I love their wisdom. I am sure we have forgotten more people, if so please accept our apologies.

1# Dominic Wanjihia: Independent renewable & environment professional

2# Semhar Araia- Oxfam International’s Horn of Africa Regional Policy Advisor- Founder of DAWner

3# Solome Lemma: Ethiopian ChangeMaker

4# Sosena Solomon: Ethiopian film maker and art director

5# Saran Kaba Jones: founder and executive director of FACE Africa

6# Wael Ghonim: internet activist and computer engineer

7# Adushan Pillay : Biochemist

8# Barbara Birungi: founder of women in technology in Uganda

9# Mark Davies: founder, Esoko

10# Anita Mpambara-Cox: President of the Mpambara-Cox Foundation (MCF)

11# Estelle Akofio-Sowah: Ghana country manager, Google

12# Rakesh Rajani: Tanzanian activist, head of Twaweza

13# Bright Simons: inventor of mPedigree

14# Ato Ulzen-Appiah: CEO of Museke Inc

15# Wangari Maathai: Kenyan environmental and political (RIP) activist

16# Omar Toure: Senegalese rap star

17# Joseph Gatete: Quickisms in secondary school projects

18# Robert Katabarwa: Igisekuru innovation

19# Nick Zemura: founder of Lillian Watson Values (LWV)

20# Aissatou Padane: microfinance development in Tambacounda

21# Maimouna Ndour Faye: Senegalese journalist

22# Kathleen BomaniTanzanian digital media enthusiast, event curator, activist

23# Yemi Adesokan: Founder of Pathogenica Inc.

24# Hawa Barry-Diallo: Founder of NIMBA Foundation

25# Edward Tagoe: Co-founder of Nandimobile

26# Kwaku Kyei: Social entrepreneur

27# Olivia Van Rooyen: the Kuyasa Fund

28# Aleke Dondo: Founder of Juhudi Kilimo

29# Dorothy K. Gordon: Director of AITI-KACE

30# Eyram Akofa Tawia: co-founder Leti Games

31# Kokkie Kooyman: Fund manager

32# Fatuma Noor: Journalist

33# Tidjane Deme: country Manager Google Sénegal

34# Gossy Ukanwoke: CEO, Students Circle

35# William Kamkwamba: Inventor

36# Eliza Anyangwe: Journalist at the Guardian

37# Anas Aremeyaw Anas: Investigative journalist

38# Funke Opeke: CEO of MainOne

39# Marie Jalloh: Parliamentarian

40# Nnenna Nwakanma: FOSS activist

41# Mirriam Kauseni: Parliamentary candidate

42# Samuel Agossou: Entrepreneur

43# Justine Ojambo: Co-founder Phoebe Education Fund for Orphans (PEFO)

44# Alloysius Attah & Emmanuel Owusu Addai: founders of Farmerline Moblie App- Winner Apps4Africa

45# Yacouba Sawadogo: Farmer

46# Herman Chinery-Hesse: Co-founder of SOFTtribe

47# Teddy Ruge: Photographer- Co-Founder of Project Diaspora

48# Jackson Muneza Mvunganyi: Voice of America- Upfront Africa

49# Miriam Quansah: BBC World Service Africa- Social Media Journalist

50# Elsie Kanza: director, Head of Africa-World Economic Forum

Get Shareaholic

Another bad AID idea for Africa

marieme — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:12:24 +0000

I was alerted yesterday morning by Linda Raftree alias @meowtree on Twitter to the existence of a project to send 1 million tee-shirts to Africa. Run by a certain Jason Sadler, you can find out all about it here

Jason asks each t-shirt donor to enclose a minimum of $1 to contribute to shipping costs. The garments will then be sent to Africa’s t-shirtless and grateful poor. Jason is using social media to promote the message, including Mashable the high-profile social media platform, I assume because of the 2.6 million viewers following the site. You can imagine my fury when I went on to see the project being promoted on numerous sites as a means to helping Africans. As usual, I like to check the excellent Aid Watcher blog to see if people are talking about the project. Sure enough, they are, and I am clearly not alone in my frustration and anger, which only increased as I read the coverage of the project. I wanted to stay rational and calm, but I just could not help myself!

Having already emailed his colleague and got nowhere, I googled Jason, found his telephone number and called him in the USA. I wanted to find out what was going on in his head and get an answer from him. When I managed to speak with him, the conversation was heated. He could feel my anger. Why was I angry? Well, first of all, his idea is conceited, amateurish and idiotic. It will not help Africans. It is just another form of aid that is inefficient and unsustainable and will end up doing more harm than good. Those who know Africa well will agree with me that once the t-shirts arrive, they will end up in a warehouse – provided someone from the government authorises it of course. The possibility that the kids the shirts are intended for will never get them is therefore very real. And even if some are distributed, Jason will not be able to track who is getting them. But most of all, supplying a million old t-shirts, apart from being incredibly inefficient in terms of cost, does not address any of Africa’s many pressing problems. Lack of t-shirts is simply not an issue! All those who donated their $1 and t-shirts might feel good about themselves, but they will have achieved nothing!

Jason admits that he does not know Africa. Sadly, he has never been to Africa, like many Americans I meet. They think they can magically impose their ‘solutions’ for Africans from America. Maybe Jason means well. Maybe he wants to help. But his idea is bad, the timing is bad and the project is insulting to Africans and Africa as a whole.

This is not an isolated event. Ideas come from America all the time. People with little knowledge and no direct experience of African decide they want to ‘help’ the continent. But these projects are more often than not damaging for Africa. This pattern needs to stop now and we need to recognise that some NGOs have failed and are still failing Africa!

I was born in Africa. I understand poverty and what is good for my continent and how we can reach out to the poorest of the poor. I visit Africa almost monthly and the dignity and pride of the poor are plain to see. They are not crying out for used t-shirts! How would Americans feel if we reverse the project and ask Africans to collect their old t-shirts and send them to the USA? Would Jason wear one? I think not. So please, treat people the way you yourself would want to be treated!

I and others are urging Jason to see the error in his idea and change strategy. He appears ready to listen .There are millions of ways to help people in Africa. Those who want to help just need to speak to the right people!

You can find excellent coverage of this story here:

Aid Watcher
Dear Jason
Blood and Milk

I am on twitter if you want to reach me @mjamme

Get Shareaholic