Of Being 'Africanist'

I saw this in the Kenyan daily; ‘The Standard’ dated Monday, January 15^th 2007. Nikaona bora ni-share ili mchangie. Me? Well, I think it holds water. It has touched what I always battle with my old man, a veteran teacher-cum-inspector and area commissioner. Africa really needs more of the Mr. James Shikwati type. Kwanza hebu isome afu…post some comments.

It’s an interview so it starts with a question, well framed I’d say.

Too much wealth, yet so much poverty

Q. Aren’t there good jobs any more?

A. Education systems during the colonial times were designed to produce civil servants for the government. After Independence, none of our governments sat down to reform the education sector, so many graduates have come out of school expecting public service jobs.

In Africa, the majority of people want to get a job with the UN because that means a big car and a nice house. (a good point here!) Let us create jobs. We should teach people that we have the responsibility to be business people. We have the responsibility to solve our problems instead of relying on the international community.

Q. What really contributes to Africa’s poverty?

A. We have received a lot of money but we are still talking about poverty. This is very confusing. Many African countries are still talking about tackling the same problem of 50 years ago. The Millennium Goals are promises African leaders were giving when we got independence, but this time thinly veiled. The whole aid debate is about shutting down the concept of letting somebody else fix our problems, and promoting one where we take responsibility for our problems---we are the ones with the problem, so we must fix it. (Applause!!)

Q. Do you believe in the so-called African solution for African problems?

A. I agree with this statement if it means getting Africans to solve their own problems. But this does not necessarily means there is an African solution. If, for instance, we have seen Slovenia solving its water problems, soil erosion, then it would be stupid for Africans to say, ‘we won’t take that solution, we have to invent own.’ The idea is not that Africans should reinvent new ways; the point is we should be solving our problems.