Showing posts with label Poverty in Africa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poverty in Africa. Show all posts

Sunday, February 03, 2019

THE ROOTS OF POVERTY IN RESOURCES RICH AFRICA


Slavery is a human genocide


Slavery is a human genocide

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Africa, especially the region located in the south of the Sahara, is the poorest region of the planet. At the end of 1993, 11 African countries were among the 15 poorest countries. Although this can not be said about North Africa because of oil. 


The poverty of the African continent is exacerbated by a population explosion. Since the continent is unstable, many think Africa is unattractive for capital investments. Despite the vast resources, there is poverty in Africa, and the poor are totally dependent on agriculture.

Although there are a lot of modern reasons for such a lag in development, however, the roots of the problem go back to the distant past, when Europeans who believed that they were superior and more civilized, needed people with different skin color to work for them.

From the middle of the 15th century, slave markets and the sale of African slaves began. They were used as domestic servants, and a great percentage was used in agricultural fields. 

After the Europeans destroyed the indigenous population of the New World, slaves from Africa were exported to America. Only a hundred years from the 1680s, through the 1780s, from Angola to the Spanish colonies of the West Indies took about a million people.

During the slave trade, peculiar slave routes arose. From Europe to Africa, merchants carried firearms, cold arms, alcoholic beverages, copper, iron products, dishes, and glass baubles. 

There, they exchanged these cheap things for the lives of African slaves, which were delivered to the American colonies. In turn, in the New World, black slaves were exchanged for colonial goods highly valued in Europe, such as tobacco, sugar, cotton, etc. 

This brought huge profits to European traders, especially the English ones. Many cities, such as Manchester, London, Liverpool, Bristol, Nantes and Rouen, Dutch Amsterdam, and many others, owe their well-being to the slave trade.

It was only after the European powers divided the whole of Africa among themselves that their governments began a determined struggle against the slave trade. The colonialists did not regard black people as humans and treated them worse than animals. 

In Africa itself, the slaves were very cheap, and their influx to the markets of the New World led to the fact that their prices were rather low; therefore, the 'living goods' traders, striving for the highest profits, tried not to spend money on the slaves. 

In shackles, they were carried in a cramped ship, and the only possible way for them to survive was to sit. Swimming from the coast of Africa across the Atlantic took several weeks, so often slaves died on the way. 

According to some scientists, for every black African brought to the American colonies, there were about 8 people killed during the voyage or during the transition to the coast, and roughly in total,
Africa had lost over 100 million people in the slave trade. 

The slave trade hindered the development of the African continent, hindered the development of agriculture, and prevented the creation of African states. 

According to historians, the slave trade was one of the reasons why the majority of the African population still lives in abject poverty. 

Surprisingly, Africa is still not free. Since slavery and colonization are no longer possible, Africa is now being targeted with strange diseases from 'heaven' yet created by man, not God. 

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

6 Things That Will Never Let You Underestimate Cleaners In Society

Ziggy Dust: The dancing street cleaner from Poland

Ziggy Dust: The dancing street cleaner from Poland



Growing up in Africa, what I realized earlier in life is that because of poverty, parents always encouraged children to study very hard to avoid being a cleaner or a driver. 


They also pray so that their sons or daughters may marry a highly learned person in society, perhaps a doctor, because that will give them honor and also bring some money home.

In Africa, society sees those in the cleaning and driving professions as uneducated or school dropouts, and many times, I see the problems a woman in love with a driver or a cleaner faces. Surprisingly, when I arrived in Europe decades ago, I noticed that some people looked down on those who worked as cleaners as well like Africa.

What is actually wrong with being a cleaner? If everyone wants to be in front, who will be behind to help the blind? And if everyone wants to be a doctor, engineer, pilot, captain, etc, who will be the cleaner to clean the offices of the pilot, engineer, etc, for them to enjoy a happy, healthy life?

As a matter of fact, I think people who look down on cleaners are not clean themselves. If one considers the role of cleaners in society, they will give them every respect they deserve equally, like a scientist or a pilot. Many hate to clean because it’s a tough job. 

This is the reason many can’t clean, but then why do they look down on cleaners when they are doing the job they wouldn’t do?

I live in Belgium, a country many hate to clean, thus, foreigners have taken over the cleaning industry, yet they complain that foreigners have taken their jobs from them. 

There are work agencies that usually send cleaners to do domestic and office cleanings. Surprisingly, some people discriminated against those cleaning their houses, demanding white cleaners, and the media hit back.

If someone is cleaner, doesn’t mean that the person is stupid or lacks intelligence? Here are

SIX FACTS THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY MANY VIEW CLEANERS IN SOCIETY

1. Cleanliness is next to godliness because being clean is a sign of spiritual purity or goodness.

2. A clean environment is essential for a healthy living.

3. Cleaning the environment prevents an epidemic.

4. People litter on the roads and public places even though there are dustbins. Imagine what our society would look like without cleaning.

5. Without cleaning, there will be a flood because of the blockage of the drainage system.

6. We shall be facing the threat of climate change and global warming.