The Mamelodi Project: Official Blogsite

Mo Ibrahim Challenges ‘Dead Aid’

bajan83 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:40:26 +0000

If you’re not familiar with Mo Ibrahim, learn about him. Sudanese, founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, former telecommunications entrepreneur, and the catalyst behind the Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. Basically, Mr. Ibrahim has the on-the-ground experience and dedication to make informed commentary.

He wrote a piece in the Financial Times back in May (which I’m just now catching unfortunately) disputing Moyo’s claims in Dead Aid. To contrast Moyo’s emphasis on an elimination of aid, Ibrahim says instead:

We need a holistic approach to development in Africa that is centred on good governance. This must encompass African governments, civil society, the private sector and donors.

You can read the rest of the interview here:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/66f75478-4bb8-11de-b827-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss&nclick_check=1

Geldof’s Live Aid vs. Moyo’s Dead Aid

bajan83 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:51:42 +0000

Geldof’s Live Aid vs Moyo’s Dead Aid
by Ajani Husbands

The book’s introduction explains one of the most valid reasons to take Dambisa Moyo seriously: “the simple fact that ‘Dead Aid’ is the work of an African black woman is the least of the reasons why you should read it. But it is a good reason nonetheless.” The truth is, discussions on development and foreign aid are most often headed by ivory tower elites diametrically opposite of Moyo’s demographic or their odd couple counterpart the liberal musician and/or actor. While these dynamics are slowly changing with time, you often need a push from an outsider to kickstart something new. And that’s what Dambisa Moyo’s bold strategy is, something new.

Shouldn’t the development community pause at the fact that the leading faces of development in Africa are musicians and actors? Their involvement is not out of malice, but simply being good-willed does not mean you have the best answers. To be blunt, when a British rock star outranks the rural farmer in terms of deciding what that farmer needs, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Dambisa Moyo erases the drawing board completely and starts fresh.

Moyo’s thesis is simple. Instead of relying on foreign aid to develop the world’s most impoverished continent, break out and try different tactics. After all, as she points out, not only is there no proven positive correlation between foreign aid and development, there is usually a negative one (the most aid-dependent countries’ growth rates have shrunk an average of 0.2 percent since 1940). Of all the statistics she quotes in the book, the most important one to note is $300 billion worth of aid has flowed into Africa from developed countries since 1970. That’s an average of $7.5 billion each year, and an average of roughly $150 million per African country per year over the past 39 years. To borrow Moyo’s succinct, yet effective, phrasing, “aid is not working.”

Her strategy is nuanced, though, in a way that many critics miss. Moyo doesn’t advocate for completely cutting off all forms of outside dollars. Instead, she focuses specifically on government to government transfers in the form of loans, usually from the IMF and World Bank, but also from foreign governments. This point is critical, because it demonstrates that Moyo is not an idealist; she’s a realist. Foreign aid, the type she critiques, has largely failed because it does not trickle down to the people who need it most. Instead, it either lines the pockets of corrupt officials, is lost in a sea of inefficiency, or promotes lackluster behavior on the part of African policymakers.

Moyo goes a step further to outline various alternatives to foreign aid that could solve Africa’s woes in the long run. The alternatives are impressive: government issued bonds on the international market, microcredit loans, regional government bonds, increasing regional trade by reducing inter-continent tariffs, steps to increase remittances, and promoting individual savings. These are all viable solutions, which she discusses in great detail. While Moyo admits that the strategy for each African country will obviously be different, she creates a “typical African country” named the Republic of Dongo, which makes for a perfect test case for any economist or analyst willing to experiment with these new strategies. Most importantly, her suggestions leave room to quibble over the details while steadfastly adhering to the main point: there are alternative, better solutions to aid.

Perhaps the controversy comes into play with her statement that Africa does not need multi-party democracy, “but in fact a decisive benevolent dictator to push through the reforms required to get the economy moving.” Here we engage in a battle of theory versus on-the-ground reality, and Moyo wins. The fictitious mosquito net producer that Moyo references throughout her book is less concerned about the right to vote than if he will have the resources to feed his family. Anyone who has travelled the world (or even travelled their own country) will know that a person’s desire for political engagement only comes about after basic needs have been met. When you have whole sectors of society who are bereft of these basic needs, politics are a spurious luxury.

To really understand her argument, you have to focus on the qualifier “benevolent” and the goal of a moving economy. Simply because a president shuns elections as a “tool of the West to undermine sovereignty,” as many rulers have done, it does not fit him in the criteria Moyo sets forth. A benevolent dictator, as Moyo defines, would have to ensure property rights, functioning institutions, growth-promoting economic policies, and an investment climate that buttressed growth. What this also means is that the dictator focuses on getting the country out of poverty utilizing long-term strategies, while allowing his/her people enough freedom to take advantage of these opportunities. Microcredit loans cannot exist if private enterprise is shut down. “The middle class needs a government that will let it get ahead,” as Moyo emphasizes.

Without stating it, Moyo is in fact making an argument for the seedlings of democracy. The problem, though, is that democracy is a buzzword, one which many in the development field believe means a focus on elections. To the contrary, democracy is a long-term process, the beginnings of which must begin with ensuring that the mosquito net producer and the rural farmer have the tools they need to succeed without being dependent on handouts.

From the entire book, there is but one area with which I disagree: China. Moyo asserts that China is a unique opportunity for Africa that must be taken advantage of. This is where a bit of idealism comes into play. While China’s involvement in Africa certainly contrasts that of other countries, it is by no means an angel. The 2005 protests in Zambia against the Chinese-owned copper mines demonstrate this clearly. At best, China is the “devil you don’t know” scenario. At the same time, theoretically, Moyo’s benevolent dictator would be able to take advantage of the opportunity and set the terms for China’s engagement more than they would with other countries. Promoting an environment where African countries can actually take advantage of China, which is what Moyo’s book describes, is a concept I wholeheartedly agree with.

In the end, Moyo has filled an important gap in development discussion. She has challenged the status quo of “more aid is better” and she has brought African intellectuals back into the forefront of the discussion. Both accomplishments are of untold value and equal necessity. While Geldoff and other celebrities certainly hold a place in raising global awareness, it is clear they should simply be warming up the stage for forward-thinking individuals such as Dambisa Moyo.

How African Companies Are Making Profits Despite Global Turmoil

bajan83 — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:56:43 +0000

Read the original article in African Business Magazine:

http://www.africasia.com/africanbusiness/ab.php?ID=2378

The Storm Riders: How African companies are making profits despite global turmoil

While the rest of the world is battening down the hatches and waiting for the economic tsunami to pass, Africa’s consumer economy is doing just fine, thank you. Although the severe fall in the demand for oil and other commodities has tarnished what might have been a record growth period for Africa, the continent’s burgeoning middle classes have more than kept the domestic economy afloat. Sarah Rundell reports.

In recent months, Africa’s big brewers have bucked the global economic downturn by posting record sales and growth while their parent companies in established markets have watched sales slump and been forced to close depots and lay off staff. Nigerian Breweries, the West African nation’s biggest beer maker by volume, and Consolidated Breweries, both majority-owned by Heineken; and Guinness Nigeria, part of British drinks company Diageo, are all seeing strong growth. Nigeria sells more Guinness than any other country apart from Britain, and sales jumped 13% in the last financial year, compared to falls of 8% and 7% in Europe and North America respectively. According to Canadean, the drinks research group, Nigeria ranks among the world’s top 10 fastest-growing beer markets, with annual sales volume growth of around 10% between 2002 and 2008. London-listed SABMiller recently made a push into the Nigerian drinks market by buying the small Nigerian brewery Pabod last December. But it’s not just beer sales that are booming in Africa. Despite the negative impact of the economic crisis on sectors such as mining and manufacturing, several industries are successfully weathering the storm.

Africa’s population is growing faster than any other major region and economic growth over the last decade has fostered a middle class that still has money to spend. “The large consuming middle classes are increasingly affluent, increasingly brand aware and they are now buying through the formal retail network,” says Jonathan Harrison, the London-based global head of research at Nigerian bank UBA. “The important drivers will remain the same,” summarises Brian Mugabe, managing director at Johannesburg-based Securities Africa. “Telecoms, retail banking, real estate, and construction.” International telecom operators’ current interest in Africa’s mobile phone market is testimony to its strength despite the recession. Not wishing to enter the fray as new operators, many are now seeking alliances with established players. For example, in an attempt to access fast-growing markets in Africa and the Middle East – and in what would be, if successful, the biggest merger and acquisition of the year – India’s largest mobile operator, Bharti Airtel is in talks to buy a stake in South Africa’s MTN. French media conglomerate Vivendi SA had been in talks with Kuwait-based Zain Group to buy its African operations. Zain, whose biggest shareholder is Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund Kuwait Investment Authority, has spent more than $12bn in Africa since 2005 – including nearly $3bn in Nigeria.

Case Study 1

Integr8 Group

Integr8 Group, South Africa’s largest privately-owned ICT managed-services company, designs, implements and maintains the IT infrastructure and service needs of leading corporations. Clients include travel and tourism company Amadeus, mining company Gold Fields, as well as Volvo and MTN. From an initial investment of $30,000, the company has grown to a turnover in excess of $15m. Despite the recession, the company expects good growth and is sticking by its expansion plans. It expects to benefit from growth in Africa’s telecoms, travel and private health sectors particularly. “We are expanding our services up the continent and have offices in Botswana, Kenya and Nigeria. “In the current climate, we find that companies will keep investing in ICT to keep competitive. In many cases, our clients will cut back on staff numbers and marketing before they cut back on ICT,” says Rob Sussman, co-chief executive of Integr8 IT Group.

The company has done well on the back of South Africa’s infrastructure investment ahead of the 2010 World Cup. That said, Sussman says the company is suffering from a lack of new business in the form of entrepreneurial business start-ups. He also says the government should do more to open up the public sector to private ICT providers. “We want to take our delivery expertise into government departments.”

How To Write About Africa

bajan83 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:39:23 +0000

If you haven’t already read Binyavanga Wainaina’s satirical piece on Africa’s portrayal in literature, now’s the time. This timely and all too accurate piece tugs at the status quo, and downright stereotypical, way in which the African continent is regarded in writing.

How To Write About Africa

Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.

In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn’t care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.

Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African’s cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.

Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.

Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can’t live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.

Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.

Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).

Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa’s situation. But do not be too specific.

Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.

Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the ‘real Africa’, and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West. The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.

Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people’s property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).

After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa’s most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or ‘conservation area’, and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa’s rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.

Readers will be put off if you don’t mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical—Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).

You’ll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.

Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.

Text taken from the article’s original publication at www.granta.com
http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-about-Africa/Page-1

Looking for Writers & Contributors

bajan83 — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:59:12 +0000

Interested in Writing About Africa?

Tired of the same, negative stereotypes portrayed on the media?

The Mamelodi Project is looking for blog writers who want to let others know the positive aspects taking place in Africa.

Investment

Community Organizations

Entrepreneurism

Arts and Music

Scientific Research

We want to know about ALL of it!!

If you are interested in writing for the blogsite, please send an e-mail to writers@mamelodiproject.org.

Helping Growing Economies, One Village at a Time

bajan83 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:41:59 +0000

(This post is from the GE corporate website…)

Helping Growing Economies, One Village at a Time
Source: Communications
09 December 2008
Martha Ngwinda, a mother of three from Malawi, often had to decide whether to feed her children or send them to school. Determined to afford both, Martha turned to FINCA, the Foundation for International Community Assistance, for a micro loan of 1,000 kwacha (US $10), and started a nursery school at home.

With the help of a few additional loans, Martha now teaches 30 children with the help of her neighbors, and has bought books, toys, and food for the school. With what she earns now, she can feed her children and send them to school without a second thought.

To help women like Martha, the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program Women in Commercial (ECLP WIC) recently launched “Investing in Women.” The goal of this campaign is to raise $5000 – the capital needed to fund a Village Bank in Malawi through FINCA.
FINCA is a non-profit organization that provides financial services to the world’s lowest income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets, and improve their standard of living. One of the most influential microfinance organizations around the world, FINCA pioneered the Village Banking method.

The system is simple: neighbors come together in financial support groups called “Village Banks.” Individuals borrow working capital (usually $50-$100) for their micro-enterprises and, since they have little to offer for collateral, the group guarantees those loans. Because neighbors support each other while growing their businesses, Village Banking helps invigorate entire communities, which become part of the larger marketplace.
“Investing in Women” connects the efforts of ECLP WIC members with GE Money’s Banking on Women campaign. Banking on Women seeks to empower the world’s women by providing them with financial education, entrepreneurial training, and access to microfinance through its partnership with FINCA.
FINCA’s revolving loan system is very effective, with a 97% repayment rate. The $5000 fundraising goal of “Investing in Women” will fund one bank in Malawi, and help women receive the loans they need to build their businesses and provide a better life for their families. Once we reach the $5000 goal, we’ll receive a report about the Village Bank we fund, complete with a photograph of the members, information on their business types and loan amounts, and individual stories.
Your gift has the power to change lives, one woman, one family, and one community at a time.
To donate to the campaign, visit the FINCA Investing in Women Team Page.

Making Starving Africans Fashionable

bajan83 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 10:33:07 +0000

by Ajani Husbands
Founder | Director- The Mamelodi Project

“Everyone knows the image of a small starving black child. We have seen it so many times now, but it doesn’t work anymore,”
- Nadia Plesner

Nadia is absolutely right. The image of a starving Black child no longer brings forth the well of emotions it did in the early 90s among Western audiences. The image has become commonplace, expected. That is where the above design comes in. The image shown above features prominently on a line of self-styled t-shirts that Nadia Plesner has designed to raise awareness for Darfur. The concept being, in her own words:

Since doing nothing but wearing designer bags and small ugly dogs appearantly is enough to get you on a magasine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who actually deserves and needs attention.

Nadia has an intriguing concept on her hands- Taking an image that the world has become used to seeing (destitute Africans) and remixing it with perhaps the most recognizable symbol of America’s consumerist culture. The intended effect is to guilt audiences into returning their focus to the frail African youths that filled our television screens along with Sally Struthers and instructive 1-800 numbers.

The t-shirt, though an innovative construct in increasing awareness in Darfur, works solely because as a culture we are still fixated on Africa as a destitute, helpless land mass that can only be transformed for the better by our direct involvement. The problem of “forgetting Africa” is an admirable issue to tackle on the part of Ms. Plesner. At the same time, the end goal should not be to replicate the same destitute images that historically serve to pidgeonhole our thoughts towards Africa as ones of pity and remorse.

Imagine if the same creativity Nadia put towards constructing this design was instead focused on drawing a design that depicted women from the various ethnic groups of Darfur, all dressed in traditional colorful garbs, each one working tirelessly at a different profession (teaching, science, medicine, etc.) and each of them saying in unison “I am the hope of Darfur.” The shirt on its own might not make a big difference, but it would nonetheless garner questions, intrigue, and a desire to know more about who these women are and what they represent. A similar concept would be a design depicting a Darfurian child dressed in a school uniform doing math problems on a chalkboard, with the phrase floating above him “I am the hope of Darfur.”

These are just design concepts off the top of my head. I am convinced designs such as these will work for the same reason that Nadia believes her shirt will draw attention and raise awareness: because they are new, unseen images of Africa that Western audiences are hardly introduced to. If we, as observers outside of Darfur and other areas in Africa of media-interest, are to successfully fulfill a role of increasing awareness, promoting partnerships, fundraising, and educating others regarding these very places, then let us do so by prominently highlighting what few people expect or are prepared to accept: that there is already positivity taking place, and we should make sure that the world knows it.

More information on Nadia’s designs can be found here:
http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnL19534474.html

Two Different Approaches to Township Tours

bajan83 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:56:36 +0000

By Leon Hartwell
Political Sciences Department at the University of Pretoria
Mamelodi Project Public Relations Director, South Africa

Before I became involved with the Mamelodi Project I took one of my friends – Dr. Mike Wolf – on a township tour through Mamelodi. It was not until after the months of filming, interviewing, and building relationships with several Mamelodi oganizations that I realised how biased I was when I took Dr. Wolf on the township tour and what the implications of this might be. What I know now is that there are different approaches with different results on how to give a township tour. One approach that promotes the worldwide negative stereotype of the African continent, and one approach that highlights the positive developments taking place within the township.

The first approach – let us call it the ‘Wolf approach’ – is to drive around a township with a foreigner (or even a local who is not familiar with the township’s dynamics) and to show him/her how poor the people are. It is a simple approach, one that does not require a lot of hard evidence, all you need is right in front of you: poorly dressed individuals, dilapidated buildings, and an informal economy that might often be appalling to the foreign eye. As a result, the outsider’s perspective might be reinforced: Africa is poor, backward and only good for the occasional game drive.

Of course, a more balanced picture of the township can only be gained if the foreigner asks the right questions. ‘What type of developments have taken place in the township over the past ten years?’ ‘Are there any development programmes in the township?’ The tour guide should also be able to answer these questions or else the foreigner will still be left with a skewed perspective about the township. Finally, the foreigner will take pictures of the township’s surroundings (which is often the case), and when he/she shows it to family members and friends their own biases about the continent will also be reinforced. In short, the Wolf approach does not do justice to our people and their surroundings; they continue to have negative views about rural areas and tend to misunderstand (or even not know of) local initiatives.

These are some of the pictures that I have taken (also on my first experience) when I took Dr Wolf on a trip through Mamelodi:

Wolf Approach: housing in Mamelodi

Wolf Approach: Township scene 1

Wolf Approach: Township scene 2

If it is true that pictures are worth a thousand words then these will certainly reinforce the negative view about our people and the continent. What is the alternative? How can we challenge Western discourses via township tourism? How can we show foreigners (and unaware locals) that there is more significance in the township than the eye can see?

Before I elaborate on the second approach – the ‘Toole approach’ – in answer to the above questions, I want to contextualise how I realised how wrong I was about the township. One of the underlying aims of The Mamelodi Project is to focus on positive aspects (such as development programmes and organisations) in the township as a representation of Africa. The reason being that the African continent is predominantly (with very few exceptions) portrayed in a negative light in Western Media. After filming, interviewing, and interacting with the Mamelodi community during the making of the Documentary I have looked in retrospect at the pictures that I took during my first trip (the ones where Dr. Wolf accompanied me) through the township. Then it struck me; “I have been guilty of the exact same biases that I am trying to defeat.”

To come back to the question posed earlier – of whether there is an alternative to the Wolf approach – I can honestly say that there is: the ‘Toole approach’. Fortunately I had the opportunity to take a number of other foreigners to the township, but this time I had greater knowledge of how township dynamics work: there is a fine line between poverty and hardship on the one hand, and development and local initiatives on the other. Where there is poverty, there are people behind the scenes discussing and implementing projects to combat this. Where there are dilapidated buildings, there are new ones being erected to uplift the circumstances.

Dr James Toole is also one of many guests that I was able to take on a tour through Mamelodi. Armed with ‘new’ knowledge and a host of relationships with some of the development organisations I was able to show (and more importantly explain) to him the best of both worlds. We visited some of the organisations that we have filmed for the Documentary and I have introduced him to the locals that are actively participating in constructing a better future for all.

This is what Dr Toole had to say about the township:

“My visit to Mamelodi was the highlight of my stay in South Africa. What I expected to see was hardship, but what Leon was able to show me was the vibrancy of the place. Life is undeniably hard for many, but there also is an energy and hope that one would never know merely by driving past the township. By meeting community leaders and organisers at a hospice, an orphanage, an arts center, and an environmental center, I was able to see not only challenges but also real advances in the quality of people’s lives. When we hear at all about development in the global North, we tend to hear more about obstacles and failures than about successes. Visiting Mamelodi in the way that I did allowed me to observe, first-hand, the kinds of achievements that committed and resourceful people are able to make on a daily basis in spite of the difficulties they face”.

The pictures that I have taken are also vastly different from the ones that I took upon my first township tour, not because these aspects of Mamelodi were never there, but simply because I did not know they existed.

Dr. Toole playing a local game

Dr. Toole chatting with Obed, a resident artist at the Mamelodi Arts Centre

Dr. Toole taking on the infamous ’spatla’ (a favorite meal among students in Mamelodi)

I hope that the contrast between the two approaches will make locals aware of the implications of township tours and that they will do their utmost best to take the Toole approach. It does not help to attack the media and donors for misrepresenting Africa if we are guilty of providing them with first hand experiences that are largely negative.

The Power of Football: Challenging Local Issues

Mamelodi Project — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:58:28 +0000

The Power of Football: Challenging Local Issues
by Leon Hartwell
Political Sciences Department, University of Pretoria
Mamelodi Project Public Relations Director, South Africa

images courtesy GTZ
The clock is ticking its way to the 2010 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted by South Africa. Yet, most discussions about this spectacular event focus on the potential of material benefits to the country. Others speculate about the possibility that deadlines in preparation for the World Cup will be missed due to the national electricity crisis. However, not a lot of publicity exists on football approaches in support of local causes.

11 April 2008

Jasmin Dirinpur is an intern at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) – a German government-owned company that focuses on different aspects of technical development. One programme of particularly interest is the Youth Development Through Football (YDF) which works in close partnership with South Africa’s Department of Sports and Recreation. The idea of YDF is that football can be used as a tool for educating today’s youth. Jasmin says, “the primary concern for the programme is not only skills development, but developing the youth and the community at large.”

In Mamelodi, GTZ and its partners have established the YDF School League in which twenty-four teams from eight primary schools compete in three different leagues (11-a-side boys, 11-a-side girls, and 5-a-side mixed gender). In doing so, empower Mamelodi youth to address many of life’s issues. One major issue identified in the township is gender inequality. In order to deal with the problem of patriarchy, educators and facilitators teach kids about the virtues of gender equality. Additionally, such education is also practically applied on the field. Some of the football teams are “mixed teams,” composed of boys and girls. Teams then nominate captains and Jasmin proudly points out that these days girls are predominantly chosen to lead the teams.

Furthermore, street football is not governed by a referee or by a formal set of rules. Players are responsible for deciding what the rules are and which decisions matter. For example, questions that the youth address include: Who will play? Should the team consist of boys, girls, or a mix? When should the first goal count? Such decisions empower the youth not only to make them team players on the football field, but also in daily situations.

Team captains get special attention and are educated in life skills that they are expected to transfer to teammates. “Change takes time,” says Jasmin, “but eventually these kids will develop into good and strong individuals.” Still, some changes are evident over a short period. Jasmin points out that one of the captains was able to go abroad and when she came back she brought with her “great confidence, she is now a very good public speaker.” She was referring to Portia Diketane, a South African member of the Tswane Sport Youth Forum, another GTZ supported project in Gauteng. Upon Portia’s return to South Africa after her visit to Paraguay she said that what she has gained from the project is “cooperation, respect, friendship, and most of all peace.” She also wrote, “I have learned a lot about how these community organisations have changed those people and I would like to share it with the people of South Africa. My mission is to see myself being able to change others in my country facing the same problems.”

When Jasmin was asked about her most memorable moment during her time working in the township, she replied, “It is difficult to pinpoint one moment … Mamelodi has become a part of me, and I am taking all those memories back to Germany. There are problems and challenges [in the township], but beyond that there is a lot more.” She remarks that in a predominantly poor community, football serves as a positive form of escapism, “it makes you lost in the moment.” When team members get together they are able to share one another’s experiences. The team therefore becomes a bedrock where individuals can open up, strengthen each other, and share issues of mutual concern. Sometimes these moments can be emotionally intense and teams turn to football to lighten the mood.

As we have seen with the GTZ approach, lessons learned during and after the great game of football are transferable to many areas of everyday life. Just think of what impact the 2010 World Cup would truly have on South Africa if it were to implement the GTZ way of life.

The Official Documentary Preview!!

Mamelodi Project — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:27:56 +0000

You can view the preview on google video at the link below:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3511147092838812665&hl=en

Please add your comments to the blog! Your commentary will help us build a more perfect documentary.

Scheduled release date of full film: August 2008