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African sun splits piece by piece
Africa is still battling with darkness which presents itself to the continent in various anarchic ways. Despite the deep stance of defense and strong arms that do not want to let go its sharpest weapons and shields, it is slowly loosing its brightness and warmth.
Africa has brave soldiers namely, scientists, doctors, scholars and even social workers putting in all efforts to restrict death from crossing the line which could mean the extinction of lives.
Equivalently, darkness has its own soldiers specially trained to manifest themselves through poverty, disease, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, insecurity and unemployment with the commander- in -chief named, climate change.
Poverty and climate change
According to International Labor Organization, poverty is deeply entrenched in the world with nearly three billion people living on the equivalent of US$ 2 a day or less, 500 million in Africa, making up roughly three-quarters of the African population.
According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty in the some of the poorest villages on earth away from scrutiny and public eye of the world. They lack needs like proper diet, proper shelter and proper medical care.
On the other hand, the soldier named poverty and lack of access to alternative fuel sources makes 80 percent of Africa’s population to rely on bio-mass to meet domestic needs. Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia are good examples whose majority rural population relies on wood for fuel while over 80 percent of urban population depends on charcoal.
This trend sets a catalyst for climate change to open fire when trees are fell and none are replaced or rather what the scholars name, reforested. These trees are felled down for economic reasons in most African nations culminating from the long-term effects since the bombing by poverty. Forest management practices are facing endless hurdles especially when majority of the population depend on these forest resources.
Disease and climate change
Even though it is expedient not to generalize issues that are not duly proven, disease has been implicated by many writers as a problem enhanced by climate change. Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the poor across the world.
Health implication of climate change is essential in Africa where control of diseases has been and is still awkward in some nations because of poverty prevalence, inadequate health facilities, availability of few health practitioners and poor administration.
Health decay in these places may be exacerbated by climate change impacts. An increase in temperature along with adequate rainfall, for example, enhances the spread of malaria and dengue.
Malaria is one of Africa’s worst endemic diseases of the tropical and poor countries. According to UNDP, every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities: Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths and African children account for over 80 percent of malaria victims worldwide.
On the other hand an estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
Water, sanitation and climate change
World wide, water problems affect half of the human population. In developing countries, one billion people have inadequate access to water. Rivers are running dry, rainfall is hardly predictable and when it rains, the disaster at hand is inevitable.
The World Health Organization has estimated that climate change over the past 30 years may have led to the death of 150,000 annually and posited that climate change may lead to malnutrition, infectious diseases and diarrhea.
Millions of women spend several hours day collecting water for domestic use while close to half of all people in developing countries suffering at any given time from a health problem is caused by water and sanitation deficits. Many households in Africa lack access to clean piped water.
Sadly to say, Africa sees close to two million children dying yearly as a result of water borne disease specifically diarrhea.
Just alike, education is a key asset in gaining employment value as well as economic development; 443 million school days each year are lost due to water related cases.
Relatively, slum dwellers experience the worst kind of problems related to disease due to lack of proper sanitation and drainage systems. When rainy seasons begin, cases of cholera, typhoid and diarrhea are widely common, with alarming rates of infections and deaths.
Insecurity and climate change
Political scientists say that in order for a state to function efficiently and effectively, it needs to coordinate four capabilities namely; Regulative, defensive, rejuvinative, symbolic and extractive functions.
Mostly, in Africa, failed states have always been able to foster one or two of these functions while those that are still fighting their way to being stable lack one or two of these functions.
The functioning of each state depends on its people and resources. Therefore, unfavourable impacts on the people and resources will affect state functioning.
When climate change elicits food insecurity, drought, diseases, and poverty, state and regional stability must also be affected.
For example, according a UNEP report on the Sudan-Dafur conflict, it suggests that the conflict has been catalyzed by climate change and environmental degradation. Changes in climate resulting to desertification have tremendously increased pressure on land and water resources.
Consequently, historical enmity on religious or racial grounds has emanated forcing people to migrate into areas occupied by others. Thus, even though climate change may not be the direct cause of conflict, its contributory role must be understood and avoided.
While the African sun still shines each day, it is only a matter of time before cracks of darkness start clouding the rays of hope that illuminates each person’s hopes. It is inevitable that we find solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change based on the realities of the people on the grass root level.
African sun splits piece by piece
Africa is still battling with darkness which presents itself to the continent in various anarchic ways. Despite the deep stance of defense and strong arms that do not want to let go its sharpest weapons and shields, it is slowly loosing its brightness and warmth.
Africa has brave soldiers namely, scientists, doctors, scholars and even social workers putting in all efforts to restrict death from crossing the line which could mean the extinction of lives.
Equivalently, darkness has its own soldiers specially trained to manifest themselves through poverty, disease, unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, insecurity and unemployment with the commander- in -chief named, climate change.
Poverty and climate change
According to International Labor Organization, poverty is deeply entrenched in the world with nearly three billion people living on the equivalent of US$ 2 a day or less, 500 million in Africa, making up roughly three-quarters of the African population.
According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty in the some of the poorest villages on earth away from scrutiny and public eye of the world. They lack needs like proper diet, proper shelter and proper medical care.
On the other hand, the soldier named poverty and lack of access to alternative fuel sources makes 80 percent of Africa’s population to rely on bio-mass to meet domestic needs. Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia are good examples whose majority rural population relies on wood for fuel while over 80 percent of urban population depends on charcoal.
Dry lands in dry times
This trend sets a catalyst for climate change to open fire when trees are fell and none are replaced or rather what the scholars name, reforested. These trees are felled down for economic reasons in most African nations culminating from the long-term effects since the bombing by poverty. Forest management practices are facing endless hurdles especially when majority of the population depend on these forest resources.
Disease and climate change
Even though it is expedient not to generalize issues that are not duly proven, disease has been implicated by many writers as a problem enhanced by climate change. Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the poor across the world.
Health implication of climate change is essential in Africa where control of diseases has been and is still awkward in some nations because of poverty prevalence, inadequate health facilities, availability of few health practitioners and poor administration.
Health decay in these places may be exacerbated by climate change impacts. An increase in temperature along with adequate rainfall, for example, enhances the spread of malaria and dengue.
Malaria is one of Africa’s worst endemic diseases of the tropical and poor countries. According to UNDP, every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities: Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths and African children account for over 80 percent of malaria victims worldwide.
On the other hand an estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.
Water, sanitation and climate change
World wide, water problems affect half of the human population. In developing countries, one billion people have inadequate access to water. Rivers are running dry, rainfall is hardly predictable and when it rains, the disaster at hand is inevitable.
The World Health Organization has estimated that climate change over the past 30 years may have led to the death of 150,000 annually and posited that climate change may lead to malnutrition, infectious diseases and diarrhea.
Millions of women spend several hours day collecting water for domestic use while close to half of all people in developing countries suffering at any given time from a health problem is caused by water and sanitation deficits. Many households in Africa lack access to clean piped water.
Sadly to say, Africa sees close to two million children dying yearly as a result of water borne disease specifically diarrhea.
Just alike, education is a key asset in gaining employment value as well as economic development; 443 million school days each year are lost due to water related cases.
Relatively, slum dwellers experience the worst kind of problems related to disease due to lack of proper sanitation and drainage systems. When rainy seasons begin, cases of cholera, typhoid and diarrhea are widely common, with alarming rates of infections and deaths.
Insecurity and climate change
Political scientists say that in order for a state to function efficiently and effectively, it needs to coordinate four capabilities namely; Regulative, defensive, rejuvinative, symbolic and extractive functions.
Mostly, in Africa, failed states have always been able to foster one or two of these functions while those that are still fighting their way to being stable lack one or two of these functions.
The functioning of each state depends on its people and resources. Therefore, unfavourable impacts on the people and resources will affect state functioning.
When climate change elicits food insecurity, drought, diseases, and poverty, state and regional stability must also be affected.
For example, according a UNEP report on the Sudan-Dafur conflict, it suggests that the conflict has been catalyzed by climate change and environmental degradation. Changes in climate resulting to desertification have tremendously increased pressure on land and water resources.
Consequently, historical enmity on religious or racial grounds has emanated forcing people to migrate into areas occupied by others. Thus, even though climate change may not be the direct cause of conflict, its contributory role must be understood and avoided.
While the African sun still shines each day, it is only a matter of time before cracks of darkness start clouding the rays of hope that illuminates each person’s hopes. It is inevitable that we find solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change based on the realities of the people on the grass root level.
Socially drought demeans, economically aid is politicized
Young children in the drought stricken countries in horn of Africa are likely to suffer the long effects of malnutrition including poor brain development.
Health officials working at the refugee camps say that most young children arrive at the camp exhausted, weak with intense malnutrition and diarrhea. They have to be fed intravenously because they cannot eat solid food.
The UN has appealed for another 1.4 million dollars to combat the drought in the coming three months, whereas more than 12 million people are at risk of death and starvation. The UN has also declared three more parts of Somalia as famine struck areas including the capital city of Mogadishu.
Women have had to walk for as much as 400km in order to arrive at the world’s biggest refugee camp, Daadab. Upon arrival at the camp, the situation is not as easy as they thought because of the increasing number of refugees trickling in the camp by thousands.
Halima, who has come all the way from Mogadishu, holds her three year old daughter very tenderly in her arms. Her child is malnourished, weak, diarrheas and vomits the little she can take in. Halima says she is just clinging to a wish that her child will survive.
“Many innocent people are dying including children. I have come all the way from Mogadishu because the situation there is too difficult. I cannot express what is happening there in words,” she said.
Halima is just one among the many who are facing the brunt of famine. Many have buried their children and are too stressed to talk about it. At a distance one can clearly see tiny graves of children who did not survive.
Most media houses, NGOs and other donor organizations cite it as the worst droughts since the 1950s and security concerns in southern Somalia as the main reasons for the crisis.
It is clear that countries must act immediately to address the crisis in the Horn of Africa, while the agencies involved should work to ensure immediate supply and distribution of food aid. In that regard, the same countries should work towards finding the underlying causes of the crisis as they seek longer-term solutions.
Drought is not a new environmental condition for much of Africa but a recurring one. While climate change may be exacerbating the crisis, the semi-arid Horn of Africa has long experienced erratic rainfall.
Nonetheless, traditional livelihoods in the region are making it a practice in their daily lives to better deal with situations when rainfall is not dependable. They are unfolding their conservative practices to better attain food security in the region.
Long distances in search of water
For instance pastoralists in the Northern parts of Ethiopia are selling off cows and donkeys to buy animals that are more resistant to drought such as sheep, goats and camels. Others have decided to embrace farming and use conserved water to irrigate their crops during dry times.
The practice works but the main challenge falls under the prices whereby cows are becoming cheaper than goats and sheep making it difficult for most pastoralists to afford the change of livestock.
“If the government or any other agency could sell us animals like sheep and goats and at the same time buy our cattle, it would be better to survive in these tough times,” said Yael, who has been a pastoralists for most of his adult life.
Just last year, KTN- Kenya’s private media house- aired news on how some communities were so inflicted by hunger that they had to kill man’s best friend, the dog and survive on its meat for up to three days. Life is never easy in these parts of the world.
This could have been a warning sign that things were turning for the worst, but during that time, scandals were all over the region. Food aid was being politicized, some was being stolen by people in charge and some sold to make profits.
Experts claim that influence from the West especially the US is what makes the situation worse in Somalia. According to them, food aid was always given without discrimination in most parts of Somalia but nowadays, the US is making a point of blocking food aid to reach or be distributed in areas dominant by the Al shabaab.
Consequently, many innocent people living within the domain of Al Shabaab influence are suffering the brunt of some policy makers.
Whereas some travel long distances to get whatever food aid they can, some are less fortunate and are killed while trying to escape the strongholds of the terror group, others succumb to the ferocious pangs on drought. These are lives that can be saved if only these Western entities could make decisions based on the moral of humanity.
Africa should not be blamed for what is happening to us, the droughts and famine especially in the horn of Africa used to exist but let us not forget that communities used to adapt to them through various means and support.
So why this is happening as the worst drought in nearly 60 years is further enhanced by climate change in which Africa contributes less.
10 million in the verge of starvation
Africa is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years with at least 10 million people in the verge of starvation in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Oxfam has risen the biggest appeal ever recorded urging for immediate help to cushion the disaster looming in the continent. The situation is not a unique one since warning s have always been issued by aid agencies.
Currently thousands have left their home in search of pasture for their cattle and water for domestic use. Three months ago, aid agencies warned that more than eight million people were facing severe food shortages. Three months they are now warning that the figure has risen to 10 million.
It leaves a question in the air as to what will happen three months to come if the situation- which is utterly preventable- goes on like this.
Every day close to 1300 cross the Kenyan border from Somalia into the world’s biggest refugee camp, Daadab. Many of the malnourished victims who mostly comprise of children die despite receiving emergency care and food.
Rise in food prices worldwide is the main catalyst aggravating the situation. African governments did put in place strategic food reserves to cope with such emergencies. But the reserves are facing a challenge since the stocks have not been replenished due to previous years of successive drought.
In 2010 World Food Program solicited a fund of $500m to mitigate food insecurity in Somali, Ethiopia and Kenya. Only half of the fund was available from rich donor nations.
Britain has just given £38m towards making good the deficit in WFP funding.
Africa to set up climate fund
African leaders are setting plans to launch a fund this year for Africa to access and manage its share of money from the global United Nations Green Climate Fund, according to U.N.
The fund which is one of the few agreements since 2009 is expected to deliver $ 100 billion per year by 2020 by the United Nations.
Officials from AU and UN say that the fund will be established and accounted for by the African Development bank since many African countries are lacking the essential infrastructure to handle their share of funds meant for climate activities.
South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are the only listed countries which have the capacity and technical utilities to handle the funds which make them viable to pull in the funds.
Forest conservation, renewable energy adoption, mitigation and adaptation activities will be among the main targets aimed for by the fund in poor countries bearing the brunt of climate change.
The horn of Africa is the worst affected by climate change this year having recorded the worst climate experience with millions in need of food aid. Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Northern Uganda are the worst affected.
Rich beggars poor professionals
Spreading their hands along the pavements offering greetings in any language they can speak, they will follow you even for a hundred meters, insisting, begging and pleading for some money. Women with children on their backs holding others by their hands on their sides, looking at you with pain stricken eyes, lines of sorrow drawn on their faces are the beggars of Addis Ababa.
One thing is certain; they are the most patient people on earth and most friendly when practicing their trade.
The other thing is that they are richer than most working people despite having to beg all day and most part of the night in the streets. Interestingly, if you go to places where the average people live they are fewer in number, but move around and stroll in places where the well-to-do and the rich live, they are there in numbers. In Addis Ababa, they are plenty especially along streets which host many shopping places and fancy restaurants.
First, poverty is one of the factors which contribute to begging, especially in a country where the gap between the rich and the poor is too wide. Secondly, beggars can make a hell lot of money to start a small scale business but looking at it in another perspective, begging brings in more money than even some forms of small scale business especially since the country has very religious, friendly people and those who have the virtue of sympathy and empathy.
“I always feel for them, they come with these faces of pain begging with all possible ways they can to get something. Some have children on their backs and you look at them and feel pity for them which makes you have a guilty conscience if you just pass by,” said Tsion, a hair saloon owner.
Funny thing is, when they spot a foreigner no matter how hard you try to disguise yourself, they even ignore the other Ethiopian friends you walk with. It is even disastrous when the Ethiopian friends try to dissuade them from bothering you. They will be abused and even lamented upon for distracting their source of income.
Mostly when the beggars come towards you begging, you are supposed to use words like “igziaber istelegn” which literally means God will provide. The hard part comes in when they say that its true God will provide but I need yours first and so on. Normally, you have to loosen your belt a little and give some few coins or one birr note. This is accepted with gratitude and grace from them especially if you are an African.
The whites have a more serious problem since when they give coins the beggars throw them away and smirk on their faces. I had a chance to observe one beggar who had taken the initiative to pamper one white guy with all sorts of words and praise for quite a distance only to be given a few coins which I estimated to have been around forty cents. The fellow looked at him with rage and threw the coins down, bounced away to the next target. This is a simple indication that they have been receiving some good cash from other people or rather they have more money in their stocks to accommodate a few coins.
Mostly, those who are young and have the agility to work should not be tolerated on the streets because they have the potential to do small jobs to earn a living, like those boys who are commonly known as “listros”.
Alemayu, a business man in Merkato-claimed to be the largest outdoor market in Africa- states that he cannot give money to those boys who are young and have the ability to work, stating that they are just lazy and some of them have even refused to go to school. Instead, he only gives the old and those who are disabled.
Beggars in need
Statistics reveal that there are over 300,000 beggars in Ethiopia of whom 70,000 are in Addis Ababa. Even so, we have other beggars who really nee help. They sit reserved in their isolated spaces, soaked in rain, not even glancing up. The look on their faces clearly describes their degree of need. They nibble on food remains, feeding their children mouthfuls of left over’s, some of which is expired and of course unclean. These are those that do not have anything to call wealth. You will always find them in the same spot whether despite of weather changes.
“Looking at them, we cannot interfere or tell them to move, they are desperate, they need food and water, and they camp at the same place today and tomorrow and usually do not move away. They do not even beg, cal out or react,” said a parking attendant.
Mostly, they are found in front and behind Bole MedhaniAlem, where the wonderfully constructed church is located. I usually feel great pain in my heart when I see them covering themselves in tattered shrouds and plastic papers when it is raining. The worst part comes when you cannot do anything for they are so many.
On the other hand, we also have those who are physically disabled and cannot tend to themselves without help. They are assisted to cross the roads, taken to the toilet, given food to feed and even taken to and from home. Mostly these are the kind of beggars that genuinely need help and assistance, some of them beg for food and not money.
“It is a disgrace for this country when foreigners are amazed at the number of beggars on the streets; it creates a very negative image especially when one can clearly see the difference between the rich and poor. The taxes are high and life is too hard as basic commodities are scarce,” said Elizabeth, a local NGO activist who owns a children’s home.
Beggars on the move
There are some who have the life similar to those of pastoralists, they move from one place to another using various like walking and even using public transport. At one time, I was walking along the streets of Mexico near the national theatre, admiring the old architecture and the marveling at various scenes that always pop up unexpectedly. I met this lady who always hangs around my home during the evening hours waiting for the usual coins that I give when I return from work.
After some few hours of exploring and wondering around Mexico, I take a taxi and head to Piaza, one old town in Addis Ababa with nice architectural designs from the Italian works. I meet her in Piaza, begging. I decide to ask her how she got here and she said that she took a taxi and came here to beg.
The thing is, begging is not a two-sided coin anymore but a complicated practice that involves passion, pain, fun and for most of the able ones, a profession. I was surprised to learn that there are some places where the beggars know themselves and cannot allow some others to filter into their territory. They have their own code of conduct, behavior and respect for fellow beggars. I would not be surprised if they had their own begging association.
The thieves
Unfortunately, every time you pass somewhere, you will hear stories of people having been robbed off valuables in a system. These kinds of beggars are professional pick-pockets. They can pick you pocket without you feeling a thing or sensing anything. It is unfortunate that most of them are children under the pretense of begging or sometimes begging you to buy small tissues or chewing gum.
What they do is when they see you approaching; one of the pick pockets who has mastered the art will take the box full of soft tissue or chewing gum and move towards you while the other stays behind waiting for you to pass. The master pampers you with endless “I love you” phrases in all possible languages he can speak while getting closer to you body as much as possible. By that time, you will have passed the second one, who in turn follows you from behind.
When the master has slid his hand- camouflaged by the box of gum or tissue- into your pocket and acquired your wallet or phone, he will pass it on the other one behind who will in turn separate and run off, while the master stills pumps you with pressure to buy the goods. Even when you realize that something is missing, the master does not take off because even if you frisk him/her you will not find it.
Many foreigners and locals have fallen for this trick and ended up yelling on top of their lungs on the streets having lost their valuables including passports and other important documents. The thing is, they are mostly children and you will not have the slightest clue that they are capable of doing such kind of robbery without violence!!
As much as there are some people who need genuine help, it is advisable not to indulge in giving handouts to them since in one way or another you might be donating your precious cash or items involuntarily.
Addis Ababa is a nice town in many other aspects with friendly people who are ready to assist you in anyway possible if you are a foreigner but begging is something that leaves a black cold hole on your heart as you see crowds of men, women old and young begging endlessly. In addition, poverty has sunk its teeth deep into many lives making it impossible to live but rather necessitating one to survive.
Many people live below the poverty line of 17 birr a day and have to do many jobs to make ends meet. It is a city that many uneducated consider themselves neither African nor Westerns.
Changing time through techology
power through innovation
The world is becoming one through technological advances. Every minute technology changes and the world in connected through various ways never imagined before.
Awareness on politics, climate change, social issues, cultures are being inculcated into minds through various modes and channels of interaction. All this is facilitated and fostered through technology, mainly through internet.
A good example, not more than twelve years ago in Africa, communication was mainly through manual means, the level of infrastructure in regards to communication was low and idle. Letter were sent through posts and those who had those big phones that were heavy to carry for a long distance spent too much maintaining them and even using them.
those were the days when having a computer let alone a phone was not just a source of prestige but also a sense of advancements.
Now, times have changed, live are changing and the winds of technology are blowing through each and very aspect of life.
I call it changing time through technology.
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