I'm no stranger to travel or to other countries. I've been to 7 countries other than my own and on somewhere between 35 and 40 flights. I've learned scads about every country I've visited - learning is something of a passion for me, especially when it comes to countries and cultures.
I thought I had pretty much covered Uganda the last time I spent a month there. Of course, you never stop learning and this trip proved that to me once again.
Did you know that half of Uganda's budget as a country is provided by the USA? Or that of all the USA's involvement in developing countries only 9% of that money is provided by the government?
We're big givers. I think it was 756 million given by churches in the USA for short term mission trips.
Giving is good. Giving is actually GREAT. I love to give, we're commanded to give - but giving doesn't solve problems.
More money doesn't make a lazy man diligent. More money doesn't make a corrupt man honest.
Those are two huge problems in Uganda, just as they are everywhere. All the aid that comes to Uganda is supposed to provide a lot of free things, including free malaria meds. The money and meds are given to the doctors who put the meds in their pharmacies at an inflated price and then pocket the aid money. The poorer people are left using Quinine which is cheaper, but much less effective.
Doctors will also make up any excuse to get your money. I personally know of two Ugandans who have had their ulula (sp??) cut out of their mouths because it was "spreading infection." One of those people was a teething baby.
There are kids begging on the streets, completely destitute. But... most of them could work. They just prefer to beg. It's easier. And why not let someone else pad your pockets? I am proud to say I've never given money to a street kid in Uganda. Is that selfish? Mean? I don't think so. Alternatively I have been part of ministries that help get those kids in school, sports and jobs.
In Uganda, as in many other places, if you look closely it isn't hard to see that aid money and just giving money does not work. So what does? What do you think the solution is?
Comments (2)
I don't think its the best option but I'd bet that if we cut off all aid to Uganda today then within 3 months, most of those beggars would have found some sort of a job and those doctors would be making an effort to help people. Why do I think this would happen? Because, people generally want to survive and if foreign money and gifts aren't available to them then they have to find a different way of surviving.
The more Americans go to developing countries to build things for them, the less their citizens learn about building or fending for themselves.
I really don't know what the best way of improving things would be but I'm convinced it entails a significant lessening of how much we give to them.
Hmm, that's a good question. How did you feel about your time there this time? Did you feel like it was beneficial? Maybe since aid money doesn't work, maybe there needs to be something along the lines of education about working. A lot of times I worry about countries or even states where money is not used wisely by the government, so it seems like a huge hurdle. (I see that in my own state where I feel like taxes are high, but you don't see a lot of things happening with the money.) I'm interested to see what solutions people come up with.