Calabro&Harbin1

JorjaCalabro&BeccaHarbin
Smith
EnglishI
22March2016

AidhasStrayed

Imagineaworldinwhichactionsintendedtoprovidesupport,unintentionallydestroy
andkilltheeconomyschancetothriveonitsown.Thishasbecomearealityformanypeople
livinginAfricathroughoutthelast20years.Everythingfromwarstodiseaseshasleftthe
Africancontinentanguishedandinneedofassistance.InmanyattemptstoaidAfrica,donors
havetriedtohelpthroughmoney,handsonwork,soldiers,andmedicinebuttheyhavenotbeen
abletoaccommodatetheneedsofAfricasgrowingpovertyandillnessrates.
Africahasbeenlivinginpovertysincethemid1800s.Thestartoftheirbudgetarydecline
camefromdebtduringandafterthecivilwar.Thecivilwardestroyedmanyeconomic
institutions.ManycountriesinAfrica,suchasSierraLeone,relyonfoodsubsidizedfromabroad
andimportsmostmanufacturedgoods(
SierraLeone:Economy
).Aideliminatedtheopportunity
forAfricatofendforitselfwhenitseconomywasweak.Littledidanyoneknow,thatthiswould
setthebarforhundredsofyearsdowntheroad.TodayinAfrica,civiliansfacenumerous
challengesasaneffectoftheirweakeconomy.Illnessesconsumethelivesofpovertystricken
peoplewhohavenopriorvaccinationsormedications,leavingthesicktocareforthesick.
Povertyiscreatedbyeconomicinstitutionsthatsystematicallyblocktheincentivesand
opportunitiesofpoorpeopletomakethingsbetterforthemselves,theirneighbors,andtheir

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country(Acemoglu&Robinson).Peopleallovertheworld,includingtheoneslivingin
poverty,aretryingtofindwaystomaketheirlivesbetter.Manyinternationaldonorsareblindly
donatingmoney,foodandclothesandthesepeopledonotrealizethenegativeimpacttheir
contributionsmayhaveonthesecountries.
OvertheyearsforeignaidinAfricahasbeenproventobeunsuccessful.More
than50billiondollarsofforeignaidisgiventoAfricancountrieseveryyeartoaddresspoverty
(Sharma).AidhascausedAfricatogrowevenmoreindebt.Whenaidisgiventogovernments
thatpresideoverextractiveinstitutions,itcanbeatbestirrelevant,atworstdownright
counterproductive.AidtoAngola,forexample,islikelytohelpthepresidentsdaughterrather
thantheaveragecitizen(Acemoglu&Robinson).Ourmoneyiseasilymisplacedinan
economyasfragileasAfricas.SupportersarealsodonatingAmericangrownfood,causing
Africanfarmerstolosetheirjobsmakingtheissueontheirdebtevenbigger.Itwaslong
believedthatdirectingmoneytostagnantcommunitiescouldjumpstarteconomicgrowth.
Numerousstudieshavefoundlittleevidencethatforeignaidactuallyleadstogreatereconomic
development(DeRugy).AlthoughforeignaidhasbroughtAfricaintoaworsefinancialstate
thantheywerebefore,overtimedonorshavefoundfewmethodstoaidAfricainendingpoverty.
AidtoAfricawasneverintendedtoextinguishalingeringeconomy,infact,manypeople
havedevotedtheirtime,money,andlovetothepeoplelivingthere.Therearemanytypesof
aid,forexample,technicalassistance,foodaid,project,aid,programaid,andbudgetsupport.
Aidisgivenalsointheformofloansorgrants,whichhavedifferentdegreesofeffectiveness
(Adedeji)
.
NotallaidtoAfricaisnegativeandtherearemanywaystohelppeoplelivingthere
withouthandingthemacheck.Whenlargeamountsofmoneyarehandedtoaweakgovernment

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thereisnooneholdingtheofficialsaccountableforhowthemoneyisbeingspent.Foreign
assistanceenhanceshealthcare,infrastructure,aswellaneducationprovisionstandards,asa
resultdevelopingeconomicfoundationaswellassocialdevelopment(Sabones).Statements
liketheseshowthataidcanbeveryhelpfultostrugglingcountriesbuttoomuchgoodisbadfor
acrippledeconomy..Givingmoneycanfeedthehungry,andhelpthesickbutitdoesnot
freepeoplefromtheinstitutionsthatmakethemhungryandsickinthefirstplace(Acemoglu&
Robinson).Themoneythatissenttotheircountriesmayhelptheeffectsoftheirsituation,butit
doesnothelptofixthecauses.Thesituationissimilartothatofasickness,doctorscantreat
symptomsbutunlesstheyattackandeliminatethevirus,thepatientwillstillbesickandinneed
oftreatment.ThepeopleofAfricaneedhelpgettingontracksothattheycanhelpthemselvesget
outoftheirsituation,nothugechecksofmoneyforfreefoodandlivingexpenses.Ifyouwant
todevelopAfrica,dontgivemoneytoUKcharitybossesbuyKenyanroses,Zimbabweanfish,
ZambianVegetablesorUgandantea(Carswell).Manypeopledontrealizethatiftheywantto
helpthexBypurchasingtheirgoodspeopleonbothendscanreceivewhattheyneedwhilealso
helpingtheother.Overall,theworldseconomyneedstodevelopandadvancethrough
internationaltradeofgoodsandservices,notmoneyalone.
Nomatterhowmanyattemptshavebeenmade,noamountofmoney,work,soldiersor
medicinethatweprovidecangetthemoutofthissituation.Buysomethingfromtheirmarket,or
encourageinternationaltrade,butthepeopleofAfricaneedachancetogetthemselvesbackon
track.Throughencouragingtradewithcountriesallaroundtheworld,itwontonlyhelpAfrica,
butcountrieseverywhereandeventuallymaketheworldabetterplace.

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WorksCited
Acemoglu,Daron,andJamesA.Robinson."Whyforeignaidfailsandhowtoreallyhelp
Africa."TheSpectator25Jan.2014:Web.7Mar.2016.
Adedeji,Lanre."IMPACTOFFOREIGNAIDONAFRICANECONOMIES."TheLawyers
ChronicleWeb.8Mar.2016.
Carswell,Douglas."TohelpAfrica,buyitsproducts.Don'tgivemoneytoaforeignaidindustry
thatlinesitsbosses'pockets."TheTelegraph7Aug.2013:Web.17Mar.2016.
DeRugy,Veronique."Foreignaidisafailure:throwinggoodmoneyatbadgovernmentsmakes
poorcountriesworseoff."ReasonJan.2015:14+.StudentEdition.Web.4Mar.2016
Sabones,Lin."WhatisInternationalAid&WhyShouldWeCare?."Blog.BorgenProject.N.p.,
15June2015.Web.7Mar.2016.
Sharma,Manasi."IsForeignAidHelpingorHurtingAfrica?"GlobalEnvision.Web.1Jan.
"SierraLeone:Economy."
CultureGramsOnlineEdition
.ProQuest,2016.Web.7Mar.2016.

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Outline

II.HowdidAfricabecomesoneedy?
A. CivilWars
B. Illnesses
C. PovertyLevels

III.HurtingorHelping?
A. Issueswithaid
B. IndependanceofSupportedCountries
C. Effectsonnationalgovernments

IV.Whatisthebestwaytohelp?
A. Whynotmoney?
B. Whatdopeopleneed?
C. Howtogetinvolved

V.Conclusion
A. Recaponthesis
B. Getinvolved
C. Finalstatement