I cant help but comment on this and I am very sure I am going to get a lot of negative responses from people. I have noticed that there has been a lot of donations channeled towards the Ebola crisis that has ravaged parts of west Africa. Some notable philanthropists from western countries have pledged and even donated millions of dollars towards the treatment of this deadly disease. Bill & Melinda Gates - $50 Million. Mark Zuckerberg - $25 Million. Paul Allen - $100 Million. AFYA - A corporate company in the United States has donated medical supplies to Sierra Leone. Cuba - A small tiny communist nation in the Caribbean has sent in 165 medical professionals to Sierra Leone to help combat the spread of Ebola. Doctors Without Borders - This humanitarian organization has been absolutely phenomenal in providing much needed medical services in the affected west African countries since the onset of this crisis. They have trained the local medical staff and provided the protective gear needed. They are currently at their wits end. The United States is sending in military personnel to deal with the crisis and the European Union has also pledged its support in the amount of one billion euros (equivalent to $1.3). My question here is - where are our African millionaires and so called philanthropists in this? what are our African leaders doing? We are more likely to read stories of how the rich in Africa lavishly spend their millions acquiring properties in Europe and elsewhere around the globe. Numerous stories abound of how African leaders spend millions of dollars acquiring unnecessary jets but we hardly hear of them donating to a good cause. Why? I am yet to hear of any African philanthropist pledging money to fight this epidemic. If they are, please let me know. Nigeria - The self proclaimed Giant of Africa has pledged to send in 600 volunteers to assist medical personnel in the affected countries. What are the other African nations doing? where is South Africa - One of the economic power houses in Africa? and where is the African Union that is always espousing African solidarity? This is when they should be exhibiting their real clout! Are the other unaffected African countries just staying passive and doing nothing which sends the message that It isnt happening in our shores so why should we bother or get involved. It seems the African continent has cultivated this habit of dependency on western nations and have this attitude of Lets wait and see when it comes to us finding solution to our problems. Instead I am reading complaints from some African countries towards the United States questioning why they are sending in military personnel. I will throw back that complaint to them and ask What measures have our own government taken in dealing with this raising epidemic? I am yet to read about any home grown African organization working to provide relief in any of the affected countries. Some might argue that the only reason western countries are getting involved is to prevent this disease from reaching their own neck of the woods. Let me throw out this question out there - What if the western nations and organizations just simply sat down and did absolutely nothing, and just watched as this epidemic gained a strong hold and spread relentlessly killing millions of Africans? The end result may be that population control will definitely set in. #charitybeginsathome# Asuquo K. Ema.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 21:39:03 +0000
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