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When people in Haiti receive bags of USAID Rice (grown elsewhere) for free, there no longer is a need for Haitian Grown Rice and it hurts local farmers. I'm not
by jefe_ 10y ago
When people in Haiti receive bags of USAID Rice (grown elsewhere) for free, there no longer is a need for Haitian Grown Rice and it hurts local farmers. I'm not sure this translates to direct injections of cash however. I've spent time in East Africa and everyone always asks, what does Africa 'need.' I typically say: money. There are lots of great ideas and lots of enterprising people at all social levels of the region, but the one thing between everyone and further development is personal income. There are roads being built by China, Water is the next big infrastructure requirement, but as for the average person in East Africa, an injection of steady cash is world changing. The only way the plan becomes toxic is if the guaranteed income ever goes away, which is an admittedly massive qualifier, but if a plan can be devised to incorporate money management resources and nationwide healthy spending mindsets, and the plan can be supported indefinitely, it has the potential to radically change the day to day experience of many people in the region.
- rewrew 10y agoI regularly do low-interest loans to African entrepreneurs via Zidisha -- that's money that's helpful in a concentrated way, vs. bulk money that I'm skeptical won't have negative consequences.
- 2noame 10y agoIn that case, you may want to read this. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jun/10/the-microfinance-delusion-who-really-wins http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-...
- rewrew 10y agoI'm skeptical because I mainly loan to the same people again and again, and they pay it back again and again. So there's something going on there.