African Foreign Aid

The first thought that comes to mind when thinking about Africa is often, what is going wrong there now, or it is a very dangerous place for foreigners to visit. This is a stereotype that has plagued Africa for the past hundred years and has aided to why Africa still is perceived today, especially with epidemics such as HIV/AIDs, Ebola, and refugees fleeing war torn countries. Africa is an enormous continent with over 1.26 billion people living on it spread out between 54 countries. With this in mind it is important to remember that particular crises affect only particular regions of Africa for example, northern Africa has lower HIV/AIDs rates than even the US and many other western countries, and is really a problem in southern Africa in countries
To understand these topics further, it is critical to be empathetic and learn, why people make the choices they do. It is also important to understand that foreign aid is critical and that the crises must be acknowledged in order to receive sufficient help from wealthier, western countries.

Dadaab is located approximately fifty miles east of the southern Somalia boarder in Kenya. It is a seemingly overlooked region where at it’s peak accumulated nearly 500,000 immigrants whom are fleeing Al Shabaab, civil war, and catastrophic famine plaguing Africa. It is very difficult to comprehend the staggering numbers people sought help and refuge, there simply is not enough help for everyone there. Author Ben Rawlence traveled to this refugee camp for a first hand look at what life is like there and why so many people are coming in and staying for many years. In his book, City of Thorns, we were exposed to the truth of why many people
It is unknown exactly where it originated but has been speculated that it started as a virus among apes where it spread through humans during consumption of contaminated meat. The AIDs epidemic increased rapidly through Africa as early colonizers, looking for wealth and opportunity, were able to spread this virus sexually and sometimes through cross-blood contamination. As most people know, this is a terminal disease because of its ability to completely shutdown the immune system. This is a double edged sword in Africa because those who have AIDs are instantly more susceptible to diseases; if the individual is also in famine and has no access to clean water or medical care at all, then they are highly likely to acquire a disease such as Cholera, Malaria, or any sickness which could be fatal. When thinking about the AIDs crisis in Africa, viewers must understand the cultural divide that the virus causes on families and communities. AIDs is arguably the most stigmatized disease in Africa, surpassing Ebola as those infected with Ebola were pitied and cared for at home often. Daniel Jordan Smith quoted a Nigerian migrant on the view of people with AIDs who said, “it is the worst thing that can effect a migrant” and that if you leave for a better future and return with AIDs you are immediately seen as a failure with no hope. It is a much less loving of a scenario than we are accustomed to