Want to do charity in Africa?

The biggest mistake many of my good hearted friends who would like to do charity in Africa make is making assumptions. These assumptions are of perspectives based on their own realities and almost absolutely independent of the community they work in or want to work in. Here are a few tips:

One: Poverty is relative – Just because I live in a mud hut does not mean I am poor. My ancestors lived in mud huts for centuries and they are just fine. The building materials are friendly to the environment, I use less and waste less. If you want to help me, help me because I asked, not because you decided I have problems. If you come to my village you will not find me crying wallowing in my poverty. In fact you will probably find me doing what I do – providing for my family the best I can. I am not on anti-depressants and I can assure you that there are people like me from wherever you came from – struggling to do this thing called life.

Two: Ask yourself truly what you are going to do in Africa. What is the goodwill you seek to do motivated by? Is it because your friends will think highly of you? Is it because you think that the people you are going to “help” need you? If that is the case, save you thousands of dollars for a plane ticket and volunteer at your local shelter, Samaritans Purse, Goodwill or whomever is working in your own community. Chances are you will understand the needs of your own home better than you will in foreign lands. If you just want to help elsewhere because you have the capacity then surround yourself with honest people who can help you understand the culture of the place you are going to. Understand the needs gap and then empower. Do not give hand outs – otherwise you're no different from the arrogant self serving idiot that thinks they can solve systemic problems that you can’t understand over a limited period of time.

Three: Don’t be a part of the problem – there is a saying – the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Without understanding the people you hope to serve, your efforts can end up detrimental to any progress towards the growth of these communities. Community growth and development has to occur organically with real lasting solutions. Yes, some of it is trial and error but you must be careful when dealing with human beings. We hear of several stories where donations have been pocketed by corrupt individuals never reaching or benefiting the grass root level.

Four: Be careful of your own self. This goes back a little to tip number two. Every human being sees the world through their own eyes built on their own personal, cultural and social experiences. It is not common to find a pet sleeping in their owner’s bed in an average African household because it is considered an animal and animals live outside – this may be viewed differently in some parts of the western world where sometimes there is a human like affection towards pets and pets are considered to be family members. This is just a small example where if one were to come into a foreign community with their own conceptions, the opinions would be inaccurately influenced.

Five: The media over the last 30 years has done a tremendous job of painting Africa as a hopeless, disease infested continent. When you go there you will find that there is everything – probably the largest resource of precious minerals in the world, skyscrapers, town and cities, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, night clubs, shopping malls, wild life, beaches… All colors of people black, white, mixed race, Asian heritage… All sorts of livelihoods, marketers, engineers, business people.. all sorts of institutions, universities, schools, libraries, a rich culture of art BUT that is not what mainstream media focuses on. So when you arrive on the continent and are fixated on that media perception, you interpretation can go two ways – positively or negatively. It is therefore important especially to us to appreciate the continent and its vast diversity and beauty and furthermore acknowledge it, because then, we will welcome you. We will not want to welcome you if it appears that you look down on us. We don’t need that and hence some of us are weary of foreigners. It is our nature to welcome strangers as we would our own and that’s how we got colonized.

So my good hearted friends that like to do charity in Africa – ask yourselves why? If you can answer honestly then bear in mind these few tips. Learn learn learn about the charity work currently going on and figure out whether you fit in that puzzle. If you are honest and realize that you are driven by an egoist need then just take a vacation in Africa – you will still be helping by promoting the tourism industry which provides jobs and livelihoods for many of our people, it is one of the largest income generating avenues for many African countries – you will have a good time and we will welcome you back happily every time.