The Shackled Continent (Part VI)...My Take and Charter Cities

My Take

The Shackled Continent did exactly what it promised; it unraveled Africa’s web of complicated problems.  This book was readable, descriptive, pragmatic, and genuinely sympathetic.  

What I liked.  Guest is a passionate hard-nosed capitalist; so many of his ideas resonated with my understanding of Africa.   He believes that “thugocracies” of many African countries have restrained the entrepreneurial talents of Africans.  And that Africans have largely been impoverished by their own leaders.  Guest goes on to say in regards to colonialism, 

Foreigners sometimes really are to blame. Africans have suffered, and its only natural that many should bear grudges for the wrongs of the colonial period....but railing against outsiders may be cathartic, but it dose not achieve much.  Wiser Africans do not wish to be seen as victims.  

Guest squarely puts the responsibility for Africa to succeed upon its leaders.      

What I didn’t like.  Guest doesn’t give much advice in regards to solutions for African leaders to adopt.  After reading the conclusion “One Step At A TIme,” I was left wanting more than Africa should look to the country of South Africa as a model of success and follow its lead little by little.  Why should we believe anything will change when it has always been this way.   

I also disagreed with Guest’s negative opinion of foreign aid to Africa. I think he fails to make a differentiation between government aid (which is largely inefficient...The value of “dead capital” in poor countries--that is, property which cannot be capitalized because of the lack of a title deed - is roughly forty times the foreign aid received by the world since 1945) and aid privately directed to NGO’s or mission agencies.  I’m biased and of course believe in what we are doing here at Kijabe.  And I see how the lives of people and communities are changed not just by the physical care they are given, but also by the transforming power of the Gospel.  Guest is wrong to denounce all aid as counterproductive.

What are the best minds saying?  Are there any other solutions?

Charter Cities; A Creative Solution

Paul Romer an economist from Stanford is trying to help the poorest countries become rich.  His ideas (written by Sebastian Mallaby) whether you agree or disagree are worth reading.  

      

Romer is peddling a radical vision: that dysfunctional nations can kick-start their own development by creating new cities with new rules...centers of progress that Romer calls “charter cities.” By building urban oases of technocratic sanity, struggling nations could attract investment and jobs; private capital would flood in and foreign aid would not be needed. And since Henry the Lion is not on hand to establish these new cities, Romer looks to the chief source of legitimate coercion that exists today—the governments that preside over the world’s more successful countries. To launch new charter cities, he says, poor countries should lease chunks of territory to enlightened foreign powers, which would take charge as though presiding over some imperial protectorate.

To drive home the importance of good rules to economic growth, Romer sometimes shows a photograph of Guinean teenagers doing their homework under streetlights. The line of hunched, concentrating figures presents a mystery, Romer says; from the photo it is clear that the teens are not dirt poor, and youths like these generally own cell phones. Yet they evidently have no electric light at home, or they would not be studying by the curbside. “So here is the puzzle,” Romer declares: Why do these kids have access to a cutting-edge technology like the cell phone, but not to a 100-year-old technology for generating electric light in the home? The answer, in a word, is rules. Because of misguided price controls in the teenagers’ country, the local electricity utility has no incentive to connect their houses to the power grid. Their society lacks the rules that make technological advance meaningful.

The standard response to this obstacle is to advocate democracy and hope that voters will force change: the minority that has electric light will be outvoted by the much larger number of people who have been denied it. But Romer argues that this way forward is too slow. People don’t always vote their economic interests, and elites with tentacles all over the ministry of energy may keep price controls in place for decades. So rather than wait in vain for electricity rules to change, we are better off starting a new experiment with brand-new rules—a charter city that stands outside the ministry’s authority.

Reviewing this book on one hand was discouraging and overwhelming, but also kept me mindful of  the world's utter dependence upon God in the face of Africa's mighty obstacles.  

The Shackled Continent (Part V)

The Conclusion

Robert Guest believes the bottom line is that “if Africa were better governed, it would be richer.” He makes the comparison of a good government (South Korea), and a bad government (North Korea).  One lives with scarcity the other with plenty.   One with dark homes the other with electricity.  One with fear of government and threats of being thrown in a labor camp, and the other with freedom of the press and capitalism.  

He goes on to compare Zambia with North Korea.  Zambia in the 1960’s had rich copper mines, that a well intentioned president with plenty of foreign aid quickly nationalized.  The mining industry became bloated and corrupt.  When the price of copper fell the industry could no longer be profitable. The copper mines were shut and now Zambia is poorer than it was 50 years ago.

Contrast Zambia with Botswana, which he compares with South Korea.  Botswana has one of the deepest supply of diamonds. Botswana used this resource wisely and plunged money into infrastructure, health care, and education.  Private business was encouraged.  Government was one of integrity.  The budget was in surplus.  Income grew from subsistence to well over $3000 per person in 35 years.  

But Botswana is a small country of million people.  The size of perhaps one of the larger slums (Kibera) in Nairobi.  Africa needs more Botswana’s, and saner politics could make that happen.

The Shackled Continent (Part IV)

 If you made it though the litany of thorny problems Africa faces, surprisingly we are only to page 28 in Guest’s "The Shackled Continent".  We have finished the Introduction: Why is Africa so Poor? The next 9 chapters include titles like, “No Title”,  “Sex And Death”, “The Vampire State,” and “Wiring the Wilderness.”  They are equally discouraging including explanations of Trucker Prostitution in South Africa, the demoralizing fall of a once great nation of Zaire into the  Democratic Republic of Congo, & the horrors of the genocide in Rwanda.  You can read the book to see what Guest has experienced.  

Let me share two experiences here in Kenya (not nearly as dramatic), but similarly revealing. I don’t share this to be mean-spirited, but rather to show that Kenya is still developing and I often don’t understand why it functions as it does.

A dental NGO (with Christian roots) contacted me about coming to Kenya last year.  Their NGO had success working with Rotary to set up portable dental clinics in Latin American schools.  Their clinics are staffed by national dental graduates who are required to give one year of service.  They have over 8 clinics and treat hundreds of kids each year. Two members of this NGO flew out to Kenya to see if this idea would fly here in Africa.  I was able to arrange a meaning with the Ministry of Health.  The NGO (myself in attendance) graciously presented their idea to the Minister and offered to donate the first two portable dental chairs.  What seems like a no-brainer in a country with big need (ratio of dentists to people is 1/378,000 in the public sector).  Why decline donations at the cost of your nation’s own children? It was met with silence.  And as far as I know despite several more requests to help in Kenya, the NGO never head back from the health minister. 

Between our short drive from Kijabe to Nairobi there are at least three police roadblocks in our way.  Spikes on the left and right, a few policeman with batons, and traffic funneled to one lane signify an upcoming roadblock.  If you are fortunate (which we have been so far) you are waved on through to Nairobi.  If the policeman feels so inclined he can direct you to the side of the road.  Apparently the police force is underpaid and it is understood that they supplement their salaries in “creative ways.”  Our good friend was riding as a passenger when stopped at a roadblock.  She was threatened to be thrown in jail for not wearing her seatbelt if she did not pay the officer a fine.  I know of another large  missionary family who was stopped at a roadblock for no apparent reason.  They were given a citation for having a tire that was partially deflated.  The driver (Dad) refused to pay.  The officer began to to arrest and detain the father. “OK, but you will have to take our whole family to jail.” Mom, Dad, and four children embarrassed the officer by spreading their legs, placing their faces against the windows, and raising their hands behind the head (even the four year old).    The humiliated police officer pleaded them to stop and quickly reneged his bribe attempt.

I could go on but with more examples but I don’t wish to tread on Kenya: a good country with great people.  Let's move on to possible solutions?  Next posts will look at what Robert Guest believes Africa needs to progress, a creative solution by Romer called “Charter Cities”, and my final take on this book.

The Shackled Continent (Part III)

5)Africa can hardly be prosperous because of the advance of AIDS.  Thirty million Africans are infected with AIDS.  Three quarters of the world’s AIDS deaths occur in Africa. Life expectancy while rising in the West has fallen in Africa due to HIV. Poverty accelerates the spread of HIV.  Without antibiotics open sores are not treated, and the virus is transmitted more readily.   Poverty of education has also speeded the spread of AIDS.  Some African women believe that without regular infusions of sperm, they will not grow up to be beautiful.  Some African men believe that by having sex with a virgin  they can cleanse themselves of the virus.  The disease strikes people in their prime years (not a disease of the elderly like alzheimers).  Fathers lose jobs, families lose homes, and children are orphaned.  

6) African countries are chronically unstable.  Most  Africans feel more loyalty to their tribe than their nation.   Nepotism is rampant among “elected officials.”   Corrupt politicians use tribal-alliances  to their advantage.  The genocide in in Rwanda of the Tutsis was carefully planned by the Hutu politicians.  Hutu politicians to keep themselves in power coordinated a mindset to hate and kill Tutsis.  Using tribal alliances approximately 800,000 Tutsis were murdered in six weeks; the swiftest genocide in history. 

 

7) Wealthy countries have too many trade barriers that prevent African countries from selling their exports at reasonable prices.  Africa has fertile land, plenty of sun, and cheap labor. But wealthy countries through quotas, tariffs, and national farm subsidies create an environment where African producers cannot compete.   

8) Civil wars set back countries in Africa and prevent success.  In 1999 1/5 Africans lived in a country currently in civil war.  90% of casualties in civil wars in Africa are civilians.  19 million Africans have been force to flee their homes.   The poorest 1/6th of humanity endures four fifths of the civil wars. What are the risk factors for a civil war: poverty and stagnation.  As the saying goes, “it is easy to give a poor man a cause.” In a vicious cycle of poverty-war-more poverty, it has been shown that a civil war reduces average income by 2.2 percent each year. 

 

9) Africa needs more successful business but doing business in Africa is risky.  Bad roads and “hungry policeman” at roadblocks makes it costly to move goods even a short distance.  Imported business to Africa say BYOI (Bring your own infrastructure). 

10)Term limits for presidents before the 1980’s in Africa were almost non-existent.  Without term limits bad presidents are never voted out of office.  And without constitutions rogue governments cannot be kept in check.   

 

11) Most countries in Africa have underdeveloped property rights.  For example in Malawi a person cannot buy or sell land without agreement from the village chief.  If he is able to buy the land but leaves it unattended for a short time the land can be taken .  We take property rights for granted.  In a country with strong property rights you have incentive to improve your land, you can use your land as collateral for a loan, you can divide your land and share assets.  Furthermore, owning land gives you an address. This allows you the ability to develop a credit record, identifiable assets, an incentive to pay off your loans, ability to get electricity, a phone line, the ability to business with strangers.

TCK (Part II)

In 1990 the census determined that the total number of Americans living abroad is estimated at 3 million. The book ‘Third Culture Kids’ takes a needed look at understanding who they are, determining their profile, and estimating the best ways they can maximize their life.

Let me share a few interesting sections of this book that ring true with my experience with Missionary Kids (and Third Culture Adults) in Kenya the past 18 months.

1) They experience high mobility. In the past two years we have lived in 2 different countries, 3 different locations, and 5 different homes/apartments. We have all seen good friends come and go, some to return again some we will not see again. It can make people flexible and quick to initiate friendship on the flip side overly-protected.

2) There is a Painful/Realistic view of life. Poverty, sickness, neediness is ever-present. We hope this instills compassion and identity that we are “One in the Body” and not prejudice, blame, or simply fatigue.

3) There is a sense of Restlessness. Where is home? It can lead to a feeling of physical rootlessness but at the same time preserve the notion that home is not a physical place but an emotional place where you are loved by family.

4)TCK’s often develop many friendships because so many people come and go, but it is simply hard to maintain them all.
Five levels of friendship are specified:
a) Superficial- Small talk. How are you? Where are you from? How is the weather?
b) Still Safe- Exchanging no Risk Facts. Where did you go on Vacation?
c) Judgmental Level- We being to risk a few questions sharing opinions on religion, politics, child-rearing. d) Emotional Level- Sharing how they feel about life. I’m happy, depressed, anxious, homesick, encouraged. e) Disclosure Level- Revealing private ideas and difficult failures. Involves and honesty and vulnerability that leads to intimacy.

Most only have a few if not just one person who fits in the 'Disclosure' level of friendship. Some have no-one like this in which to share. TCK’s and TCA’s move quickly through levels a and b to reach c. Why? It may be a sense of urgency due to high mobility of friendships. It also may be cultural. Europeans are quick to launch into talks of politics which may be divisive. Americans look for common ground in sports, TV, movies.

5) TCK’s are quite comfortable talking to adults because they spend a lot of time with them. They can seem overly-mature for their age.

6) There is frequently unresolved grief due to the stresses of normal life in a developing world (death, isolation, anxiety). In these situations comfort is often confused with encouragement. Comfort says I can’t change things. Comfort puts and arm around a shoulder and just says I’m sorry. Comfort validates grief. Comfort gives grief permission. It recognizes that this grief is normal, understood, and that the griever is not alone. Encouragement presumes this situation will turn around. Encouragement tends to bypass grief, often unintentionally delegitimizing the grieving process.

7) Both spouses must favor the move to a third culture for it to work.

8) Kids need to be feel that the work there parents are doing is important. First they just need to know what Mom and Dad are doing at the hospital. Second, they need to know that at this time God has called not just Mom and Dad but our whole family to serve in Kenya. If there is no sense of calling, need, or justification for being here for the children, they may feel they have been absconded to a foreign country with no real reason.

9) Establishing a physical home in your home country is recommended.

10) Build strong ties with relatives and friends.

Lastly, you may find a few graphs taken from the book interesting.



Safety of missionaries (thankfully) has vastly improved.



A tendency towards TCK's who are in boarding school towards higher frequency visits at home with parents.



The trend is tending away from early boarding school.

The authors in my opinion decidedly refrained from offering a tight summary or study of how TCK’s function as adults. Making an assertion would oversimplify the complexity of growing up as a TCK and its affect on the rest of their life. It seems that each TCK has a distinct experience and would speak for themselves regarding how growing up in a Third Culture has affected their development.

Money Matters

One of the challenges as Westerners living in Africa is how we use and manage money in relation to the ever present poverty that surrounds us here in Kenya. Daily financial situations arise that make us feel uncomfortable and uncertain with how to respond. Our helper asks for a loan on her next month's salary (Is this a loan of gift)? We buy vegetables at the local market and feel sad as we are unable to buy from each person. We are asked for money to pay school fees and do not know if the request is legitimate. A co-worker needs help for medical fees for her son and asks for a pay advance? We sell a friend a simple piece of furniture 6 months ago but have yet to be paid. These are just a few situations that we struggle with.
A century previous the average westerner had an annual income 3 times that of the average African. Today, if I am average I will make 60 times that of an average African in my lifetime. What does that advantage mean and what does God expect from us in relating to our Kenyan friends in financial matters? Should I be negotiating for prices at the market (is that cultural or being overly thrifty)? Should I be holding people accountable for "loans" or should I let it go as a gift unspoken? Ultimately how do we as a family share our resources (which are not really ours but God's) with those in need but not feel like we are getting taken, scammed, or burned? How do we find a balance between Christian generosity and using our resources wisely?
Thankfully I happened upon the book, 'African Friends and Money Matters' by David Maranz. It is a book that was developed to address the frustrations many Westerners (tourists, missionaries, diplomats, NGO's, businessmen) face when living in Africa with money matters. Each culture sees and manages money differently and these differences cause misunderstandings. With anecdotes, studies, and his own experiences he lists 90 observations of just "How Finances Work in Africa." Let me share with you several of his observations.
1) Resources are to be used, not hoarded.
2) Money is to be spent before friends or relatives ask to "borrow" it.
3) If something is not being actively used, it is considered to be available.
4) Africans assist their friends in financial need as a form of investment for those future times when they themselves might have need.
5) Africans readily share space and things but are possessive of knowledge (Westerners tend to be opposite).
6) Precision is to be avoided in accounting as it shows a lack of a generous spirit.
7) Fund raising is done on a village basis to help with personal needs. The person in need can decide best how to spend this money.
8) Many products (phone cards, dental anesthetic, food) are purchased in very small amounts even though the unit cost is quite high.
9) Africans are more hospitable than charitable (Westerners tend to be the opposite).
10) Compliments are given indirectly in the form of a request for a gift. (That is a nice bike)
11) Africans are very discreet about asking for assistance, only hinting at their needs. (we are hoping to repair a roof, we are raising funds for a funeral, our daughter is going to school.)
12) Africans find security in ambiguous arrangements, plans, and speech (Westerners tend to the opposite). Examples are; a) when borrowing it is left open when, how or if funds to be repayed b) absence of fixed prices c)commitments to attend meetings c) absence of starting times or ending times for events
13) Showing solidarity at events like funerals and weddings is extremely important. Financial contributions are expected as well as extended leave with pay.
14) Corrupt money is not expected to be paid back, accountability is not enforced, restitution is not practiced.
15) A major function of government is to provide money to those members of society that are in power. Nepotism is expected.
16) A great number of economic needs in Africa are met by friends and family.
17) An unjust settlement of a dispute is better than an offended complaint.
18) A loan is eligible to be repaid when the creditor's need becomes greater than the debtor's need.
19) The collection of debt is primarily the responsibility of the creditor.
20) Loan is often a euphemism for gift.
21) Loans of goods come with rules. a) the borrower does not return the article unless asked b) articles may be reloaned to third parties c) long term borrowing of the article becomes a gift d) normal wear and tear is the responsibility of the lender not the borrower
22) Westerners find it frustrating that Africans appear unclear and indirect.
23) Having the correct amount of money in a business transaction is the responsibility of the buyer not the seller.
24) Negotiating for prices is expected. It is part of the greeting process.
How do we make sense of this? Are some of these observations just plain wrong? But what about Biblical commands to live in community and to provide for the widow and orphan? We seek to engage, befriend, and witness to the culture in Kenya but the economic differences between us and them are staggering, unavoidable, and expanding. How do we balance grace towards the culture and also emphasize accountability? Do we strive to help (with charity) or maybe better yet help those to help themselves (with matching donations to encourage savings)? Do we micromanage supplies, accounts, donations or empower others to use them as God may choose.
As still a new family in Kenya we have much to learn and are often humbled by our own lack of understanding of the culture here. This book has shed light on our stark differences and has made us wonder, how we ever get things done? Only by God's grace perhaps. Lastly a veteran here in Kijabe advised, "Malin, I have learned to err on the side of generosity. If you are not occasionally getting burned on a loan, scammed on a donation, or pay higher for a purchase..you are probably not where you need to be. We are called to give, God will be responsible for how it is used."