African Women's Cooperatives and Fair Trade: A lasting solution to poverty

It’s true, there are lots of good people donating money to large organizations which have programs to feed the people during famine, run refugee camps and set up programs to help the poor survive tough times. So why is it that year after year you are bombarded with the same television and news press ads telling you that your dollars are needed again to save Africans?

I’ll begin by telling you that there ARE situations where monetary donations are not only appropriate; but absolutely necessary! During moments of crisis, there is no other choice than to support those in trouble with immediate aid.

But in order to have Africans living in situations which prevent the need for so much aid in times of disaster, we need to think differently about the way we help.

The way life goes today for far too many African women is that they live in poverty with no assistance from anyone until an international drama occurs. Then large organizations flood in, install temporary camps, feed people and pack up and leave as soon as the crisis is over.

Immediate but temporary aid is not a long term solution.

African women, as well as women from other developing countries have been telling us what the solutions are. Only no one seems interested in listening. There are not enough women in decision-making positions to help sustainable development. Those currently making decisions about the future of African women are NOT African women. That is the problem!

The idea that giving money or food during crises will solve them is simply not true. Africans want to EARN their livelihood, not be the eternal victims of donations and live in refugee camps for life. Refugee camps which house the same people living in them generation after generation are not a permanent solution.

Those government officials continuing to buy arms and searching for every excuse to go to war with their neighbors instead of investing in healthcare and education are not the solution either.

Allowing foreign companies to come in and run large businesses where workers have virtually no rights and aren’t paid enough to feed their families is not a solution either. Let's face it, there are only two groups who win in such situations: big businesses, which get to sell the same product at a larger profit because it is no longer held to the same rules and regulations as in the West, and governments which gain income from taxes all too often funneled into projects which are counterproductive for their own citizens.

Did you know that there are African nations which military budget is worth ten times their education and healthcare budgets combined? Add to that that those countries which are actually interested in improving the lives of their citizens are often bogged down with loan reimbursement and meeting the cutbacks forced upon them by organizations such as the IMF (International Monetary Fund), and the World Bank.

Combine mandatory reductions of social programs and the fact that interest on loans is often all that can afford to be paid by the poorest of nations. You will then have a clear understanding as to why governments, even when they are willing, are unable to meet the immediate needs of their nation’s poorest citizens.

So what IS the solution? Many African women are getting together now to address the problem of poverty and the vast majority has come to the conclusion that the best long-term solution to their plight is found in working together. They are forming cooperatives of all sizes accomplishing a variety of tasks. African women are working hand in hand, as well as with women from other parts of the world to learn trades, discover new ways to market their wares, save money for collective village projects such as education and health centers and the list goes on…

African women are doing what they have done from the beginning of time: depending on and assisting each other.

Just a couple of the many benefits of these cooperatives in the lives of Africa’s women is that they are able to have daycare centers where they can leave their children to be attended to while they go off to work. They also allow women to take charge of their health through the construction of village health clinics where basic nutrition and sanitation classes are taught.

If companies in the West would simply entertain the idea of engaging in fair trade with these cooperatives, there could at last be a lasting solution to the problem of poverty.

In my opinion, the most effective way to have this happen is to learn about fair trade and spread the news. After all, there are so many people who are torn between wanting to help and not wanting to give blindly to an organization which might, or sadly, might not ever fulfill its promise. These people are people like you. Good and decent human beings who really do want what is best for Africans; but don’t know how to help in a way that is concrete and that doesn’t leave African men, women and children sitting and waiting for a hand-out year after year.

Allow me to propose fair trade as a lasting solution. It will not prevent wars, nor will it prevent natural disasters such as drought. But in my opinion, it will definitely assist Africans in being more independent and prepared when such events occur.