Dead aid

[Rectron]( [Mail & Guardian Newsletter logo](#) [mg.co.za]( [The Ampersand Daily Newsletter from the M&G team](#) [Divider Strip] October 07 2020 | [View in browser]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( Hi there, In today's world of convenience, we give little thought to where our food comes from or how it is produced. Meat, fruit and vegetables from around the globe can be found in our stores, but few of us care about the journey it has taken to get there. Olivier van Beemen decided to start asking some questions. With the same smiling Ghanaian farmer routinely staring down at him in his supermarket in the Netherlands, boasting of his pineapples and the good life farming affords him, he wondered how the man truly felt. And so began his [search for Kwabena](. What Van Beeman found in Ghana did not fit the illusion that was sold by the supermarket chain and its supplier. As much as there was investment, there was also neglect. The farmers and packers, although grateful for the employment, struggled to maintain a basic standard of living. Buildings crumbled around them -- the result of finger pointing and passing the buck between the government and the eager European investors. In this search for a farmer and his sweet pineapples, we see an all-too-familiar story in the developing world. It's easy for multinational corporations to dump their spare change in a foreign land and tout their philanthropy. Actually understanding a community and strategically planning for their long-term needs is far more onerous. Incidentally, Paul Akiwumi has written about how Africa can [curb illicit financial flows to strengthen economies]( post Covid-19. The pandemic has worsened the vulnerabilities caused by the excessive reliance of African economies on world markets, he writes. With more than 50% of the continent's trade flows coming from the European Union, China, the United States and United Kingdom, their decreased business is expected to contribute to the significant shrinking of many of Africa's economies. These two articles allow us to confront one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. The aid doesn't balance out the theft that happens in the background. As it happens, the one thing that Africa doesn't need is charity. Have you subscribed to [The Continent](mg.co.za/thecontinent)? The "Whatsapp newspaper" is your weekly dose of pan-African news and features. By using the same viral networks exploited by disseminators of disinformation, the publication aims to counter the fake news on people's phones with real news. Email "SUBSCRIBE" to TheContinent@mg.co.za or send us a message on WhatsApp or Signal on +27 73 805 6068. Until tomorrow, Kiri Rupiah & Luke Feltham [Divider Strip] [Danone]( [Divider Strip] [UJ]( [Divider Strip] [Facebook icon]( [Twitter icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( You are receiving this email on {EMAIL} because 1.) You're a member of "Mail & Guardian" or 2.) previously subscribed [M&G logo] 25 Owl St, Braamfontein Werf, Johannesburg, 2092 Want to be removed? No problem! [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Email support: help@media-connect.co.za - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -