Like some cultures around the world, Africans are expected to help members of their families financially in times of need. This is expected especially of family members who are seen to wealthier than other members of the family. A member of the family who is seen to be wealthy but who fails to help the needy members of the family is said to be seriously anti-community. Those with good jobs, for example, help the kids of those family members who are less well to do. This can be sometimes extremely burdensome and may lead some to unholy activities to help members of their family.
However, some of those Africans who have migrated to other places around the world and who have found better lives than some of their family members back home have not forgotten this element of their culture. Thus, they have been sending money back home to help needy family members and sometimes even to start businesses. Now, economists are beginning to say that this activity is helping the African economy more than foreign aid. This could therefore be seen as an element of African culture that is contributing significantly to the economic development of the continent.
It would be nice if African leaders could recognize the potential for this tradition and apply in on a broader scale. They could see the people of their countries as members of their families whom they need to help and work for policies that enhance this vision. It is rather unfortunate that many African leaders see their people as sources to be fleeced rather than as people needing help, thus helping to crumble their own economies rather than grow them. At a time when we are in need of robust economic development, it is strange that those Africans outside the continent seem to be more interested in this outcome than their leaders back home.
However, some of those Africans who have migrated to other places around the world and who have found better lives than some of their family members back home have not forgotten this element of their culture. Thus, they have been sending money back home to help needy family members and sometimes even to start businesses. Now, economists are beginning to say that this activity is helping the African economy more than foreign aid. This could therefore be seen as an element of African culture that is contributing significantly to the economic development of the continent.
It would be nice if African leaders could recognize the potential for this tradition and apply in on a broader scale. They could see the people of their countries as members of their families whom they need to help and work for policies that enhance this vision. It is rather unfortunate that many African leaders see their people as sources to be fleeced rather than as people needing help, thus helping to crumble their own economies rather than grow them. At a time when we are in need of robust economic development, it is strange that those Africans outside the continent seem to be more interested in this outcome than their leaders back home.
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