July 19, 2006

US cotton farmers see the effects of American subsidies on Africa

A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away."
(Prov 13:23)

A while ago, I wrote about the US cotton subsidies, how they depress world prices and harm the economy of poor cotton-producing countries such as Burkina Faso. Burkina loses more money through the effect of US cotton subsidies than it receives through US aid. These subsidies have been declared illegal by the WTO.

Then, to the hope of millions, the US announced it was scrapping its cotton subsidies.

US farmers see the reality for themselves
But it seems there is still a problem. US cotton farmers have recently visited Burkina's neighbour, Mali, and said themselves that US cotton subsidies are hurting Africans and "worsening hardship in the world's poorest region". In 2004-05, $4.2 billion in government subsidies was given to just 25 000 US cotton producers, affecting between 15 and 20 million people in Africa who depend on the crop.

In addition, a paper produced by TCS observes: "The vast majority of these and other commodity subsidies go to the largest and most profitable farm operations. ... one farm in Arkansas received $23 million in cotton subsidies between fiscal years 1996 and 2001."

The situation as it stands
So what happened to that "scrapping" of the subsidies?

Well, in fact, Congress only agreed to scrap one part of the subsidies (the the Step 2 cotton export subsidy program if you are interested), and that only comes into effect as from next month. Oxfam does a good analysis of that decision here.

It was a good start, but leaves $3.2 billion in annual cotton subsidies and $1.6 billion in export credits untouched - all equally illegal and unjust.

West Africa have seen a 14% increase in their cotton yields, but the absence of an equitable price, caused by the western subsidies, meant a 31% loss in the income they received from it. While the price of imports such as oil are rising, the price Burkina can receive for its key export is falling due to western subsidies. So we keep Burkina poor by our unjust trade rules, and then appease our consciences by giving a few million in aid.

International deliberations
Ahead of the WTO, the leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Benin have been continuing their fight for the elimination of cotton subsidies worldwide. President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso spoke to the Trade Negotiating Committee of the WTO in June, and, with the president of Mali, has written a letter to the New York Times condemning the subsidies.

One year after the climax of the Make Poverty History campaign at the G8 summit in Edinburgh, the EU and US are still arguing over who needs to make more cuts to their subsidies and tariffs. The Middle East crisis then inevitably kicked concern for Africa onto the sidelines. Yesterday, there was more hope as trade ministers have been sent to meet at the WTO with a principle of "more flexibility" in the aim of resolving the issues of trade subsidies and tariffs.

Parallel to the G8 summit in Russia, there is another summit in Gao in Mali, trying to bring attention to the region's issues. With immigration from Africa to Europe a major concern for the "rich nations", the gathering in Mali observes that "working to improve the standard of living in sub-Saharan Africa is the only way to stem the tide of immigration".

Justice and common sense
The obvious injustice of the vast discrepency of wealth between the rich and poor world is also a cause for international social disruption - whether that be immigration or terrorism.

Justice in trade rules for the poor, giving a fair income for their work, is not only right on its own merit, but is beneficial to all. It gives dignity to people, allowing them to work to improve their lives rather than being so dependant on aid. And it takes away one of the main incentives to the international social unrest that so threatens our world today.

Please pray and campaign for trade justice for the poor:
UK:
Tear Fund
US: ONE

A good paper by Oxfam on the cotton issue is available here.

Tags: burkina faso africa burkina aid trade wto cotton justice poverty g8 subsidies farming agriculture

Posted by Keith at 07:58 AM | Comments (4)

July 17, 2006

What do Burkina Faso, the Vatican, and Afghanistan have in common?

None of them, along with 95 other countries have McDonalds.

In fact only three countries in Africa - the three wealthiest - have the Golden Arches.

Blessed are the poor, for they shall not have a Big Mac.

Tags: burkina burkina faso africa mdconalds big mac

Posted by Keith at 07:16 AM | Comments (4)

February 15, 2006

Gorom-Gorom

Gorom-Gorom is where I lived and worked for nearly 11 years, from 1992-2003.

Gorom-Gorom is the capital town of the province of Oudalan, the most north-eastern province in Burkina Faso, bordering both Mali and Niger. In the last 15 years, the town has acquired both running water and electricity, and the market was being rebuilt when I left. But the town is still cut off in rainy season, as the dirt road gets washed away. The road from Ouagadougou is apparently being laid with tarmac as far as Dori at present, leaving just the last - and worst - 56km untreated.

But it is worth the journey. Gorom-Gorom is in all those West African guide books as a "must-see" for anyone visiting Burkina Faso. This is primarily because of the fascinating mix of peoples and cultures of the area, particularly in evident every Thursday on market day.

The Peoples of Gorom-Gorom
There are of course the Fulani. As in Djibo, the men are mostly found down at the cattle market, buying, selling, herding, or just watching the cattle. While debates about price go on, they crouch in the dust, or stand one-legged eyeing the animals that are their life. Fulani women, dressed often in the typical blue cloth of the Gaoob'e Fulani that dominate this region, and with silver in their hair, are in the main market. They may be selling mats they have made, buying food for the family, or just meeting up to chat with family and friends.

Then there are the Tamacheq - the light skinned Tuareg (the "blue men of the desert") and the Bella, the ex-slaves of the Tuareg nobles. There are many Bella, but not many Tuareg here. The Bella have adopted the turbans, robes, swords, camels, and language (Tamacheq) of their old masters' culture. Like the Fulani, the Tuareg's loss of their slaves has left them often ill-equipped for survival, whereas the hard-working ex-slaves are often now much better off.

And then there are the Songhai. Related to the Djerma people of Niger, this is about as far from the River Niger that they get. The name Gorom-Gorom comes from the Sonhai name, meaning "sit down, we're going to sit down." The name goes back apparently to two brothers who, tired from travelling first stopped here. And one said to the other.... The Songhai have a less strict attachment to Islam than the Fulani or Tamacheq, and have many animistic practices in the surrounding, mostly more eastern areas.

Also in the market you will find Mossi from Ouagadougou, Maalleebe from Mali, Hausa from Niger, Hasania Arabs from Mauritania, Yoruba traders from Nigeria, and the occasional backpacking tubaaku, who has read his "Guide to West Africa", and come up on the bus from the capital the day before. If he has the time and inclination, he will barter a price with the local tourist guides for a camel trip to the sand dunes of Menegou, or a bush-taxi ride to the more spectacular ones 60km away at Oursi.

Tubaakus aside, the particular mix of peoples and the flat, dry landscape does give Gorom, and the whole province of Oudalan, a feel unlike anywhere else in the country - more like Niger or Mali than the rest of Burkina. It will be good to get back home...

Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom tamacheq tuareg songhai fulani market

Posted by Keith at 07:56 PM | Comments (1)

February 13, 2006

Djibo

On Friday I will arrive in Ouagadougou, and on Saturday, I will head north to Djibo.

Djibo is about 125 miles north of Ouagadougou. When you reach Djibo, it feels like you reach the start of the Sahel proper ("sahel" means "shore of the desert"). To the south of Djibo is Mossi territory, to the north is primarily a Fulani area, and the small town of Djibo is the place where the two peoples mix - together with a few Kurumba from scattered villages in the area too.

Djibo Town
I say "small" - I guess Djibo has a population of about 10 000, which has grown up around the large lake and small hills. The weekly cattle market that meets down by the lake brings Fulani in from all the surrounding villages. Many of the herders are standing on one leg watching their animals, or crouching in the dirt discussing prices. This is the literal stock market - where the fall and rise of prices week by week can devastate community life. If the big traders from the city have come, and spent their money, they will be arranging for the animals to be walked down to the capital. (Steve's account of his journey with the herders is well worth a read.)

This is a Muslim area, but there are also a number of Mossi churches there, and even a bible school run by one of the national churches. As well as that, there is a small Fulani congregation, too. When I was starting my work among the Fulani, I visited Paul, a missionary who had been there years. He had arrived just before the famines of the 70's, and his work had been swamped by responding to that need. A small group of Fulani had decided to follow the way of Christ. The week I went to see Paul, the new central market had recently opened, and there was a Tuareg camel race in celebration of President Blaise Compaore visiting Djibo. Paul moved on eventually, but others replaced him, and there is still a Fulani church there.

After more than 10 years in Gorom-Gorom, Steve and I moved to Djibo - although I never actually spent much time there during my year based there. I travelled a lot during that time, and we also did the Fulani Discipling Community at Boukouma, so Djibo never really quite felt like home.

Visiting Djibo
I will arrive in Djibo on the Saturday, and on Sunday morning I have been asked to preach at the Fulani church. I hope I haven't forgotten too much of my Fulfulde in the two years I have now been away. Kiwi missionaries Carl and Sharlene will be there. But I hear they have - at least temporarily - a Fulani pastor from another town to help run the church. His name is Tongooga, and I gather he is on a one-year practical placement from Bible School in Benin. There are some lovely Christians in the Djibo church, some of whom have recently been baptised. And others have joined since I have been away - like Jaynebu.

I am looking forward to seeing all these guys again, and of course my colleague Steve, and our new co-workers Cristiano and Irenaldo from Brazil. Steve seems to be doing a great job, building relationships, integrating into Fulani culture, and sharing Christ with the Fulani, and it will be great to spend time together again. He has of course also been trying to set up the Radio Station in Djibo, so it will be good to see how that is going.

And then there's Ken and Jocelyn, and their team, running a hospital where they provided the excellent surgery and care for thousands who would not otherwise have any chance of survival. And Nikiema Amade, one of the teachers at the Bible School, who used to be pastor in Gorom-Gorom.

Please pray for all these people, serving God faithfully and for God to continue to pour out his blessing and his Holy Spirit on Djibo.

Tags: africa burkina burkina faso djibo mossi church mission fulani

Posted by Keith at 10:42 PM | Comments (1)

February 10, 2006

Ouagadougou: In memory and anticipation

On 17 Feb, I will fly back into Ouagadougou for a 3 week visit to Burkina Faso. My first three years in Burkina, I was based in Ouaga, and I have many good memories from there.

My first years in Burkina
When I first moved to Burkina Faso with World Horizons, I lived in Ouaga with a Mossi friend called Dieudonné. The church in Ouaga was dynamic and growing - one church I sometimes attended had a Sunday morning service that lasted about 8 hours on average. But although I lived in Ouaga, I didn't spend all that much time there.

I worked for those first years with a team of Mossi pastors in a campaign called Project Javelin. As a team, we would go from Ouaga to the north-west of Burkina, around Ouahigouya, to bring the message of Christ in Mossi villages there, where there were very few Christians. One such village, unforgettably, was called Rambo. We would turn up in an old English Beford army truck, and move in at a local church or school. After a drink of "zom-kom", we would go and greet the village elders.

During the day, we would be pray, study, and visit local people. In the afternoon, some would cook, and some would set up the equipment for the evening meeting. As night fell, we would turn on the lights and sound system, and play Mossi praise songs. Soon, lights could be seen bobbing in the darkness across the fields as people made their way with lamps or torches to come and see what was happening. The team of pastors would sing, preach, and then we would show the Jesus film. Often, over the course of just a few days in a village, many people would decide to follow Christ, and sometimes a church would start over the course of those few days. They were very exciting times.

And yet, increasingly I felt restless - I knew the Mossi pastors didn't really need me there - they were far better at what they were doing than I could ever be. I wasn't really sure what I was doing there... Finally, it was through Project Javelin that I met the Fulani and was led to move on to work in Gorom-Gorom, where the cultural and language differences prevented the Mossi from reaching the local people, and where there were no local Christians. We gave the evangelism equipment to the pastors and they have carried on with the ministry without us!

It is easy to do missions badly. We can give ourselves an ego boost by going where God is already at work, and see "results" quickly. But usually the church is already doing a good job there. We need to examine our attitudes and motivation about why we are doing mission, and how we are doing it. Are we there to serve, or to feed our own ego? It is easy still to have a "colonialist" attitude towards Africa, whereas we are often actually the ones in need of input from the church in Africa to speak prophetically to challenge our materialism and compromise.

Possibly the western church has two main roles in mission today. Either to work with - and under - local churches to support them in their own ministry. Or to go where the church still does not yet exist - to the hard places, where there is no quick result. Mission must be cross-shaped. A true work of God will involve self-denial, service, and sacrifice. If instead it panders to our ego and feeds spiritual pride, there is something seriously wrong.

Friends
On my arrival in Ouaga this time, I will not have the opportunity to see many people - I arrive one night and leave the following day for Djibo. But on my return I hope to catch up with people - I still have many friends there. There are many pastors who have helped us and worked with us and put up with our white man's ignorance and arrogance and who somehow continue to love us. Pastors like Philippe and his wife Josephine. Philippe was one of the founders of Project Javelin, and now runs a large church and also an evangelical development agency called AEAD, a partner of Tear Fund. I also hope to catch up with some of the young Christians we used to work with, many of whom are now themselves pastors and evangelists. And of course there are some very good missionary friends.

Pray for the church in Ouaga
The church still has a lot of dynamism. But there are dangers too. Unfortunately, with our wealth and influence, we in the west have sometimes exported seminars, books, ministries, and values that reflect our own culture of individualism and materialism rather than the cross-shaped gospel message of Christ. There are some wonderful churches and committed men of God in Ouaga, the sort of men who we need to hear speak prophetically into our own compromised Christianity. There are pockets where the church is, with its limited resources, reaching out it mission to other peoples and nations.

The church among the Mossi has a missionary call. Pray that she will rise increasingly to this calling to send out servants to the peoples and nations around in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The easy life of the city is a pull that stops many from taking up their cross to follow Christ to the difficult places - just as our own comfort holds us back in the same way. There are churches in Ouaga with 10 or more pastors, yet there are also towns and villages in Burkina without church or pastor. Pray that the Ouaga church presses forward to fulfil her own missionary calling to bless the nations, and that the Lord continues to anoint and equip church leaders there - men like Philippe - to lead the church into the fulness of his purposes.

Tags: africa burkina burkina faso ouagadougou mossi church mission siao

Posted by Keith at 09:45 PM | Comments (2)

February 02, 2006

US cotton subsidies scrapped!

The BBC reports today that the US has scrapped its major cotton subsidies! This has to be good news for Burkina Faso.

These subsidies had been declared illegal by the WTO because they distorted the global market.

In particular, they undermined the prices that poor cotton-producing countries like Burkina Faso could get for their cotton. Such subsidies thus actively damaged efforts of these countries to work their own way out of poverty. I wrote about the issue here.

Now that the US has taken this step, let's hope the EU begin to deal with the iniquities of the Common Agriculture Policy subsidies...

Tags: africa burkina burkina faso trade wto cotton justice poverty subsidies us cotton subsidies

Posted by Keith at 08:47 AM | Comments (1)

December 18, 2005

Spotlight on Darfur 3 - Christmas Edition

All Things 2 All is hosting the third Spotlight on Darfur - a collection of posts bringing attention to the continuing situation in the Sudan.

"In the Western world Christmas has become a time of glitz and tinsel, and also for many a time to give and receive gifts. The contributors to this Spotlight on Darfur are diverse and do not represent any one organization or group. But we share in wanting to give something to the people of Darfur at this time, and we hope for peace in that troubled and conflicted area."

Go read.

Tags: sudan africa

Posted by Keith at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)

December 03, 2005

AIDS rate drops in Burkina

As you know Thursday was World AIDS Day. The number of people in the world living with HIV is at its highest ever (an estimated 40.3m people currently living with the virus across the world, with almost 5m infected in 2005). Two thirds of the people living with HIV - 25.8m - are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world the AIDS rate has fallen. HIV prevalence is currently about 4% in the country as a whole. But infection rates among pregnant women living in urban areas, were down to 2.3 percent in 2004 from 4.2 percent in 2001.

Continue reading "AIDS rate drops in Burkina"

Posted by Keith at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2005

Jaynebu's Story

The second time we found the bag of human excrement outside our door we knew someone was doing magic against us.

I went to a Moodibo (Muslim religious teacher) for help. He said I had to pay him 500 cfa (£0.50) to help. I paid him. He handed me a pen and instructed me to think hard of the thing that was troubling me and then to spit on the pen, hand it to him and he would reveal the problem to me. I did as he said. He then told me that I was very sick. I said “No, that’s not the problem”. He then said that for him to further help I needed to bring him 24 white kola nuts and 24 red kola nuts. It was the year 2001. In that year kola nuts were very expensive, even a small one was 50 cfa (£0.05) I went home and did the calculations. It would cost 2400 cfa. I could not afford it.

Continue reading "Jaynebu's Story"

Posted by Keith at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2005

Growing up among the Fulani

I have just come across a blog by Christine, the daughter of good missionary friends of mine. We worked together in Burkina Faso, but they are now back in New Zealand. Christine's fulfulde was better than mine, and she lived among the women and children in a way that has given her a lot of unique experience of their culture.

She has a short posting here, where she gives a perspective on what it was like growing up among the Fulani of Burkina Faso. She tells of the pain of seeing her friends marry at 13 to older men, and of little girls dying from being circumcised with a rusty blade. But she also tells of the joy of experiencing people's generosity and kindness.

I will be keeping an eye on her blog for future stories and insights to pass on to you.

Posted by Keith at 08:10 AM | Comments (2)

Bush-taxi Burger

I loved this bush-taxi burger found in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso by Tafirkhoo.

Looking round this guy's site, there are a few interesting stories of life in Burkina from someone working with an NGO in the capital. There is also a photo of my old motorbike on the road to Djibo, and some of the guys out on their bikes in the sand dunes at Oursi, just north of Gorom-Gorom.

On his site I also found this appropriate quote, which I hadn't heard before:

"I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, and I work for a non-profit organisation..."

Posted by Keith at 08:01 AM | Comments (1)

November 21, 2005

President wins election

As expected, Blaise Compaore, the incumbent president of Burkina Faso, won the latest elections by a huge majority, with about 80% of the vote.

This is his third electoral win, although previous elections, in 1991 and 1996, were virtually unopposed. This time round, the opposition were too divided to mount a serious challenge.

Tags: burkina faso africa elections burkina blaise compaore

Posted by Keith at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2005

Elections in Burkina

Burkina Faso is at the polls for the presidential elections.

The likely results seem in little doubt, with current president Blaise Compaore certain to win in spite of controversy over procedure.

Importantly, things seem to be going peacefully, but continue to pray, please.

More information on Burkina here, and on the elections here

Thank you.

Tags: burkina faso africa elections burkina

Posted by Keith at 02:44 PM | Comments (2)

October 03, 2005

Prepare for a long walk

"By one o’clock, the sun is indeed hammering our heads, and the landscape glares like an overexposed photograph. My water bottle is empty. The others, incredibly, have just one small water bottle between them.

“Diallo, is there a pump ahead?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Not far,” says Diallo. When a Fulani man says “not far”, prepare for a long walk."

(From Steve's latest article published inthe Sunday Times.)

I was once travelling to a Fulani village on my motorbike. I'd only recently bought the bike, and it was my first time on such a sandy route. I now love biking through such terrain and over the sand dunes, but that first time I was very nervous. I had also rashly picked up a hitch-hiker on the way. The bike was sliding all over the place in the sand, and I could feel my travelling companion was getting tense, wondering what he had let himself in for. I was hoping I was almost there, so I stopped on the way to ask a Fulani herder if it was far. Predictable response: "It's not far now."

Trying to get more precise information, I tentatively asked if he knew how many kilometres - expecting that a Fulani "duroowo" would not know the measures. I was surprised

"It's only four kilometres," he replied with confidence.

With renewed courage I pressed on for four more kilometres. And four more. And four more... After 20 km of nervous sliding, we finally arrived at our destination, and I deposited my hitch-hiker. He seemed relieved that he had actually arrived in one piece, without being thrown in the sand by the "tubaaku", who clearly had no idea how to ride a motorbike.

Twenty kilometres... our herder friend's estimate had actually been one-fifth of the real distance. That seems to be a fair estimate of the Fulani perception of distance. If a Fulani tells you how far something is, multiply it by 5.

Now, of course, that perception is largely to do with them being used to walking long distances behind their cattle, as Steve discovered. One Fulani Christian I know used to walk 40km each way, every weekend, just to get to church. (Would you...?) But their mathematics of the distance is interesting. My own theory about that has to do with the way they count money...

The smallest coin in Burkina Faso is the 5cfa coin, which is known in Fulfulde as "mbuudu wooturu" or "one coin". From the days before the Fulani started to learn to read, they could not decipher the numbers on the coin, so money was calculated in mulitples of the "mbuudu wooturu". Thus, 50cfa is "sappo" - "ten". And so on. Transfer that to distance, and Amadu is your uncle.

So, when you come to Burkina, be prepared. That journey, or that nice Fulani blanket you want to buy, may be five times more than you think it is going to be!

Tags: burkina faso africa travel burkina fulani

Posted by Keith at 08:02 AM | Comments (4)

October 01, 2005

Radio station progress

Preparations for the Radio station we are trying to start in the north of Burkina are making progress.

It seems we have all we need to make the application. Finance is coming in, and HCJB are being very helpful. Steve reports that their latest projection of the range covered, if we can get a 500W transmitter, will be 100km. This will go up to and across the border with Mali, covering the villages we visited on the trip that birthed the vision for the radio station.

Please continue to pray for this. Our vision is for a station that will not only give access for the gospel into villages that have no contact with the good news of Jesus Christ, but also that will be a channel of health, social, and other development.

Tags: burkina faso africa burkina fulani radio

Posted by Keith at 05:22 PM | Comments (2)

September 22, 2005

Did you see this?

Missionary blogs: A new site highlighting missionary blogs from around the world.

Do you get it? Tod on the good news of the kingdom, and what it's not.

Get me to the match on time: These guys really didn't want to miss the game!

Posted by Keith at 02:57 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2005

World Cup Qualifiers Spectacular

While my home town of Cardiff was invaded by the hordes who came to see England take a narrow 1-0 win over Wales, a much more exciting match was taking place in Ouagadougou, where Burkina Faso trounced South Africa 3-1.

Although Burkina were already out of the running, the result has all but ruled South Africa out of qualifying for next year's World Cup Finals in Germany.

Felicitations, les Etalons!

Tags: burkina faso africa soccer burkina world cup football

Posted by Keith at 11:21 PM | Comments (5)

September 01, 2005

Food crisis update from in Burkina Faso

* Herders hit the hardest
* Report from on the ground
* Gorom-Gorom
* Tear Fund and Christian Aid in Burkina

Herders hit the hardest
I have noticed that in the TV and other reports on the crisis in Niger, there were a lot of Fulani. The BBC notes that this is because those who depend on animals have been worst affected by the food crisis throughout the Sahel.

"Millet prices [per 100kg bag] have shot up from 10,000 CFA francs ($18) to 25,000 CFA francs ($45) and animal prices have collapsed. This double whammy has hit the Fulani herders of the region hard. They are fast running out of animals to sell. Herds of 300 have dwindled to 20, either dead from hunger, or sold for a pittance in the struggle to raise money for millet, the staple crop."

"Somebody has got to resolve the problem of mounting food prices and falling animal prices in the long term."

Report from on the ground
Steve writes from on the ground in Djibo in the north of Burkina. Over the last few weeks, there has been a gradual move there from suffering to hope, as the rains continue, and the first handfuls of food are taken in the lead-up to the harvest. It looks like this year the harvest should be good - if the locusts keep away.

Read about it here: "It is very difficult to measure hunger. If you come to Djibo and say 'Hands up if you're hungry', the whole town (including the mayor) will put their hands up. And it is true that everyone (except the mayor) is looking thin these days. When I returned last week from ten days in Ouagadougou, I did a double-take at how emaciated some of my friends had become."

And here: "Mawna Belko sighs. 'God be praised,' he says. 'If on the day the babbatti came last year you had told us that we would still be drinking tea in August, we would not have believed you.'

Babbatti.. The word has never been far from our lips since 27th September last year when the pink cloud came from the north. At first people thought it was an approaching dust storm, but then the cloud turned into millions of tiny dots, pink and flickering and strangely beautiful. The dots swarmed towards the fields and began to dive, and for an hour the air was thick with legs, wings and mandibles. The babbatti ate everything and left.

Now rainy season is here again, and the fields are again filled with ranks of almost-millet. Everyone knows how precious the crop is, and how precarious. One month to go, and then the millet can be harvested. A repeat of last year's locust invasion would be catastrophic."

And here: "Yesterday I started harvesting the corn in my back yard. All over Djibo people are doing the same - they are taking corn to each other as gifts and will eat it until the main millet harvest."

Gorom-Gorom
Gorom-Gorom is typically a bit behind the rest of the country, and seems to be still in need of some food aid through to the harvest in October.

I have not been able to contact the pastor there recently, but there was a problem with transporting the food aid up to Gorom because the roads were unpassable. As soon as I hear something more, I will post it here.

Tear Fund and Christian Aid in Burkina
Both Tear Fund and Christian Aid have been working in Burkina Faso through their partners there. As well as responding to the immediate needs of the food crisis, they are working on long-term development to improve food security, through cereal banks, personnel training for effective distribution, improved land use etc.

Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina fulani food crisis

Posted by Keith at 05:00 PM | Comments (2)

August 11, 2005

Muslims help Burkina

The Aga Khan recently visited Burkina Faso. The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of the Nizari sect of the Ismaili branch of Shi'a Islam.

He came to Burkina to co-launch a Micro-credit Agency with President Blaise Compaoré. The idea is to engage the mainstream banking sector in small business loans to the poor, in line with the UN international year of micro-finance. Apparently the Aga Khan group holds majority shares in the Comoe National Sugar Factory at Banfora, and the Fasoplast plastics factory in Bobo-Dioulasso, and has for several years headed the national airline, Air Burkina.

Now, I wonder if there is a role for Christian businesses to use their skills and profits to help poor countries in similar ways, developing micro-enterprise etc, or whether it should just be left to Muslims...

Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina micro-credit business

Posted by Keith at 06:48 PM | Comments (0)

August 09, 2005

Famine or no famine?

The BBC report that the Niger president, Mamadou Tanja, denies there is a famine in his country.

In strict definition at least, it seems he is correct. The most useful report on the situation seems to be this one by FEWS, the famine early warning system. In response to the question "Is there now or will there soon be a famine or mass starvation in Niger?" they state:

Food crisis, not famine
"There is a very severe, but localized, food security crisis in some pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of northern Maradi, Tillabery, Zinder, and Tahoua regions caused by an early end of last year’s rains, locust damage to some pasture lands, current high prices of food, and chronic non-food causes of malnutrition. In these areas, high malnutrition rates, some of which reveal severe local problems, will inevitably be accompanied by increases in the “normally” high levels of infant mortality." They state this is the consensus between the Niger government, WFP, FAO, CILSS, and FEWS NET on the "locally severe, but non-famine nature of the crisis.

If the media have exaggerated the extent of the crisis, there yet remains a crisis - a "locally severe" food crisis. Aid agencies report children dying of hunger every day. In this, President Tanja seems to be going against the consensus, by claiming the situation is not worse than usual, and in seeing some political plot behind the claims of famine.

The state of the Niger Government
Yet M Tanja is not a tyrant or despot. Indeed, he was welcomed to the White House by George Bush less than two months ago, and was praised, along with four other African presidents for the "strong statement that these leaders have made about democracy and the importance of democracy on the continent of Africa." He is Niger's first elected president to complete his term without assassination or coup.

FEWS says: "Within the limitations of its own resources, the Government of Niger has been responsive to the current food security crisis in its continuous and collaborative monitoring and assessment of conditions, subsidized cereal sales from reserve stocks, a “loaning” of cereals in affected areas until the next harvest, and more recently, in distributing free food."

Long-term Poverty Issue
The FEWS report raises other interesting issues with the West African food crisis, and is worth serious reading. One main point that comes through is that - while we need to address the current crisis - it is the long-term poverty issues that need to be dealt with if the crisis is not to recur:

"This food crisis is not just a temporary emergency. It is the predictable and inevitable result of inadequately-addressed chronic poverty in the world’s second poorest country. Although the willingness of much of the world to address these “famine” conditions in Niger is appropriate and welcome, without a similar commitment and prolonged attention to addressing the chronic issues that are at the heart of the current localized crises, the same problems will re-occur again soon."

Tags: niger africa aid famine food crisis tanja

Posted by Keith at 07:53 PM | Comments (2)

August 04, 2005

West African Food Crisis

The crisis in West Africa continues. Money is finally being given, and food beginning to arrive, but more help is needed. Please give what you can to help.

Although Niger has been the worst hit so far, and has had most attention, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania are also badly affected:

Niger
The situation on the ground in the three provinces of Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua is fraught: people are eating grass and dying of hunger; families are walking 20 miles to get to feeding centres where there is not enough food to go around. Children are being tagged as to whether they are starving enough to get food. There is simply not enough for everyone, and many are having to go without.

The rains have finally arrived, which is good for the fields - where people remain to work them - but the rain also brings problems: malaria can kill off those weakened by hunger; roads can be washed away, hindering the trucks bringing food aid.

Cattle and sheep - the main source of livelihood for many - have died in their hundreds. Many who had large herds now have lost all. Those that are left are skin and bones and cannot be sold for any price.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said it had raised its appeal for its Niger operation to US$57.6 million from a previous appeal of US$16 million because of the raised costs of emergency relief. It could have intervened earlier and reduced the price of dealing with the crisis had it received earlier responses to appeals, but international governments were slow to respond.

Further information:
Niger Watch
Guardian special reports.
Slide show

Burkina Faso
More than 500,000 people in Burkina Faso are also in immediate need of food assistance, particularly in the northern province of Oudalan, the area around Gorom-Gorom, where we are doing some food aid distribution.

It seems the high commissioner of the province has just been "removed from office", along with several other local figures, following a scandal in which more than 50 tonnes of food aid "disappeared." Fortunately, the police seem to have acted quickly and effectively to deal with the corruption.

Our food aid will, in any case, be handled by the pastor of the local church, a man I trust, and whom I have used before for similar food distribution.

Mali
More than 1 million people in Mali face a major food crisis because rich countries have not responded to calls for emergency funds. Aid agencies say donors must act now to help the 1.1 million people at risk there. The worst-hit areas in are Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal, in the north of the country. Only 14% of the $7.4m (£4.18m) requested by the World Food Programme for Mali has been received since it launched an appeal in December.

Mauritania
In Mauritania, around 800,000 people - more than 25% of the population - are at risk, with the worst-affected regions being Aftout and Affol, in the south-east, and the Senegal River Valley to the south.

Mauritania has also just had a bloodless coup d'etat, which has been condemned by the UN, African Union, and the US.

Please donate: you can give to the Disaster Emergency Committee, which includes Tear Fund, World Vision, and Christian Aid, and is working in all four countries.

Please blog: write a post about this crisis, to raise awareness and encourage people to respond. Register at Bloggers Unite for Africa to express your concern and commitment.

Tomorrow I hope to give some more thoughts on this food crisis and some elements of a Christian response.

Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina niger mali famine mauritania

Posted by Keith at 01:23 PM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2005

A girl's education...(continued)

Thank you to those of you who have responded to the article What is a girl's education worth? Some have expressed interest in helping support others through school in Burkina. I have previously had a fund for this, and am re-opening it:

Education Fund for Burkina Faso
The fund will be used for two things:

1. Providing for orphans and other poor children to go to school. If funds and structure allow, I hope this would include one meal a day. Read about Steve's conversation with my friend Iisaa about his experience at school.

2. Individual grants to enable some girl students, to go on to a Christian college, similar to this one.

If you want to give to this, you can send a gift to World Horizons at the following addresses. On the back of the cheque, and in a convering note, state that it is for "Education Fund in Gorom-Gorom, Burkina Faso":

World Horizons, North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
World Horizons, PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA

Many thanks.

Tags: burkina faso gorom-gorom africa aid burkina education

Posted by Keith at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)

Updates on Africa

* Niger and West Africa.
* Sudan.
* Bloggers Unite for Africa.

Continue reading "Updates on Africa"

Posted by Keith at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2005

Why should we listen to voices from Africa?

Most of you will probably see the title of this and pass on.
Talk about Africa is not on your radar.
Well, there are two good reasons why we as Christians need to be listening to voices from Africa:

1. The church is now vastly non-western. It is African, Asian, and Latin American. These are the places where the church is not only large, but growing and vibrant.

2. Jesus is most often found among the poor and on the margins. If you want to know where Jesus is, and what he is doing today, look in Africa!

Has not God chosen the poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom? We need to hear what Africa has to say to us about spirituality, faith, and theology. And we need to hear the concerns of our family there, and ask how Christ, whom we call Lord, would have us respond.

Most of the discussion among Christians on the internet simply reflects the situation in the western world - rich white guys arguing amongst themselves about issues concerning an ever-decreasing section of the church: English Bible translations, American politics, postmodern church, Calvinism and Arminianism....

Not that these things shouldn't be discussed, of course. But the issues that concern the vast majority of the world's population, the vast majority of Christians in the world, and the vast majority of the materially and spiritually needy in the world, barely raise a ripple. Poverty, hunger, suffering, and injustice raised their heads recently, only because they give us a chance to talk about rock bands and espouse our own views. Then we returned to more urgent things. The needs of the 10/40 window and of the millions with no access to the good news of Christ are drowned out by expostulations about the war on terror.

We have the money to be able to broadcast our views in books, seminars, and blogs, however ridiculous our views or insipid our spirituality. Most Africans do not of course have a voice in blogworld or to the western church. And we don't want to listen anyway. Please don't disturb our comfort by asking us to be interested in Africa beyond giving some spare change occasionally to appease our consciences. Let us get back to our comfortable Christianity and our polemics.

And yet, that's where Jesus is.
That's where the needy are.
And that is the church of today, and increasingly of tomorrow.

As Graham Cray says in the book "the post-evangelical debate":
"The focus of influence within world Christianity will increasingly be the churches of the South, making the subject of this book (and maybe our blogs...? K) a marginal debate... Western Christians still have little awareness how far they have moved from the centre of influence. The crucial question for all Christians at this time, evengelical or not, may be, how much can we learn from our brothers and sisters in the Two Thirds World?"

And are we listening?

Tags: church africa christianity blogging

Posted by Keith at 10:09 AM | Comments (8)

July 28, 2005

News from Burkina

* Food Aid
* Malaria
* Railway to Ghana?
* Cotton

Food Aid
I phoned the pastor in Gorom-Gorom (using Skype)the other day to find out what progress is being made with the food aid we are providing. The main problem at the moment is that the rains have washed out the road, which makes transport extremely difficult. We are obviously happy that the rains are good - it offers hope for this year's harvest - but it does cause problems. Options are being examined for other possibilities.

The UN says that half a million people needed food aid in the northern part of the country. "According to an evaluation mission conducted in June in areas of particular concern, 11% of children aged one to five years suffered from moderate malnutrition, while 6% suffered from acute malnutrition." The U.N. appeal for $196 million for 2005 for Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania has received just 39 percent of the requested funds so far.

Continue reading "News from Burkina"

Posted by Keith at 11:07 AM | Comments (2)

July 26, 2005

Niger

The food crisis situation we are facing in the north of Burkina has of course struck throughout the whole region of West Africa, and is particularly bad in Niger, where 3.5 million are at risk. 150 000 children there are suffering from extreme hunger, and less than 1 in 10 of those in need are making it to the feeding centres.

The food crisis has been caused by a combination of locust invasion and bad rains, which ruined last year's harvest. NGOs were warning of the forthcoming disaster since November last year, and calling for aid. Further appeals in January and June still failed to raise a penny in aid from international governments. The amount asked for initially to prevent the crisis - a few million dollars - was peanuts compared with the fact that "Europeans eat ice cream for $10bn a year and Americans spend $35bn on their pets each year."

Now that the crisis has hit, and it is on our television screens, governments are shamed into doing something, but it is still a fraction of what is needed. Food is now beginning to arrive, but it is too little, too late for many thousands who will die before it can reach them. And the amount of money needed to resolve the crisis now is much more than would have been necessary to prevent it several months ago.

"The World Food Programme appeal for $16 million is still only 40 per cent funded. The UN emergency appeal for $30 million has only received $10 million, although more has been pledged. Had this money been given six months ago, it would have cost $1 per person affected per day to prevent the food crisis... It will now take about $80 to save each starving person."

The Niger government also has a responsibility, since - in spite of NGO warnings - the government did announce its problems, but tried to play down the extent of the crisis. Niger is the second poorest, and Burkina the third poorest country in the world.

Information
You can read a BBC report on the situation, including a link to a video report on the arrival of aid to Niger here.
There is also a new website, Niger Watch, run by the prolific Ingrid Jones.

Help
You can send money to help to:
Red Cross
World Vision
Christian Aid/ ACT

Tags: niger africa aid famine

Posted by Keith at 01:48 PM | Comments (2)

July 16, 2005

Recent stuff from Burkina Faso

* Arms.
* AIDS.
* Women's Rights
* A tragic story

Continue reading "Recent stuff from Burkina Faso"

Posted by Keith at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2005

Flanders & Swann... and malaria prevention

For those of us visiting Africa from abroad, anti-malarial medicine is an essential. In recent years, lariam or mefloquine has been found to be effective, but unfortunately, has become well-known for its disconcerting side-effects.

Continue reading "Flanders & Swann... and malaria prevention"

Posted by Keith at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2005

Sudan update

* Former rebel leader joins government.
* Darfur peace process.
* Trouble out east.
* Prayer for Darfur.

Continue reading "Sudan update"

Posted by Keith at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2005

Developments in Burkina Faso

Food Aid
The money we have sent out for food aid has arrived. This is following the failure of last year's harvest due to a locust swarm as well as bad rains. The food aid should be ready for distribution very soon. This is a key time, when people need food for energy to work the fields. Please pray for good rains through to September. One problem with the rains is that they wash away the roads by which the food aid has to come. Please pray for this aid that it arrives without problem, that it helps many people, and that it brings honour to the name of Christ.

Steve has also been distributing seed for people to plant. Many people had eaten the seed they had kept for planting because of the food shortages.

Burkina and the G8
Burkina is one of the 18 countries to benefit from the debt cancellation arranged by finance ministers in the lead-up to the G8 summit. The lack of progress in dealing with rich country agricultural subsidies, such as cotton and rice, is a concern. These harm Burkina's economy and the lives of many people there. However, George Bush's apparent readiness to deal with them may open possibilities for the WTO in December.

Burkina benefits from the Millenium Challenge Corporation
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has approved up to $12.9 million for a program to help Burkina Faso improve primary-education completion rates for girls. MCC said: "MCC congratulates the people and government of Burkina Faso for their innovative program to increase primary education rates among girls." The program will fund construction of schools and teacher incentives in 10 provinces with the lowest girls' primary education completion rates.

The Threshold Program is designed to assist countries that are on the "threshold," of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) eligibility. If such countries make reforms as stipulated by MCA, they might eventually qualify for MCA assistance.

Tags: burkina faso poverty aid africa burkina

Posted by Keith at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)

July 08, 2005

What does the Lord require of you...?

David Wayne at Jollyblogger has written a post on Live Aid, the ONE campaign and Africa. I don't agree with the assessments of all those he quotes, although it does give a perspective on different Christians ways of looking at the issue. He quotes an interesting perspective by Gideon Strauss, and promises us more of his own thoughts in the coming weeks, which I look forward to.

This is what I commented there:

"I've been a missionary for 15 years in one of the poorest countries in Africa. I am convinced that preaching the gospel and making disciples of Christ is the best thing we can do for the development of Africa. But I am also convinced that the situation of extreme poverty in Africa and elsewhere is an injustice that challenges us as the church to respond in our personal lives, in our discipleship, in our church life and mission, and - in the pattern of Amos and others - in our prophetic role towards political leadership.

For this we need humility and to struggle with what God requires of me. We need to avoid the arrogance of certainty in claiming we have answers - especially when they come without the cost of the cross. We need to avoid dividing ourselves from fellow believers by throwing our lot in with either Socialist or Capitalist solutions, and instead seek what the Bible has to say, and how it critiques both.

If we as the church are to be a model and channel of God's kingdom of justice and righteousness, this must have a serious impact on our lives as we consider our mission to the world and our attitudes towards our own wealth and comfort...

I would love to see a more Biblical and (to use Andy Jackson's phrase) missional discussion of these issues taking place among Christian bloggers."

Links to my articles this weeks on: Biblical attitude to the poor, Corruption, Aid and Development, Debt, and Trade.

Tags: g8 poverty make poverty history africa mission church discipleship

Posted by Keith at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)

June 28, 2005

Update on food shortages in Burkina Faso

Reuters reports that the government of Burkina Faso is distributing more food aid, but says that much more will be needed over the coming months to prevent famine.

This current government distribution will be 5000 tonnes. Residents there will be able to buy a 100 kg bag of subsidised grain for 5,500 CFA (US $11), just over a quarter of the current market price of around 20,000 CFA (US $40).

The government will probably have to sell a total of 100,000 tonnes of grain at knock-down prices to vulnerable population groups before the next harvest begins in September. Such an operation would cost about US $4 million, a big cost for the third poorest country in the world.

Oudalan, the area around Gorom-Gorom where I lived for over 10 years, and where we will be doing our own food aid distribution, was the hardest hit region of the country. It lost over 90% of its harvest through a devastating combination of locusts and drought.

Posted by Keith at 08:13 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2005

Update on food shortage in Burkina Faso

The latest report from Relief Web says:
"The drought and locust invasion of 2004 also had an impact on Northern areas of Burkina Faso with an official estimate of some 500,000 people in need of food assistance."

"In late 2004, the Government initiated a three step emergency operation of 1.162 billion CFA (US$ 2.2 million) to assist populations in 15 provinces affected by locust and drought. This operation is expected to continue until the next harvest in October 2005. ...(Many organisations and NGO's) are now involved in food distribution to most vulnerable people; sale of cereals at subsidised prices; securing livestock; and the sale of seeds."

This is what we are responding to with our food aid.

Posted by Keith at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2005

Another face of Africa

“In rich countries, when they show Africa, they show the face of AIDS, of poverty, of bad things – like war. Africa has another face – a positive face. This face we bring - of colour and joy and things like this.” (Youssou N’dour)

The programme “The African Rock n roll years” was good last night. I was disappointed that actually very little time was given to the purely traditional griot music, which was the foundation for all subsequent developments. There was however a guy playing the very same style of three-stringed guitar, or hoddu, that I have propped up by the fireplace in front of me as I type this. Nice to see it played well. I can’t do anything with it.

The traditional Malian and Senegalese music styles, instruments, and culture have blended with Cuban musical influence and western instruments. This has produced a music that is so dynamic, innovative, and lyrical compared with so much of the soulless, sexual, and image-driven, mass-produced mush that fills our MP3 players. It’s also very different from the energetic, bottom-wiggling stuff coming out of the Ivory Coast.

It is a music that seems to have retained some of the richness of African culture and social values. It’s a shame they didn’t translate more of the songs, but those they did seemed also to speak of a wider social awareness than is typical of the Top Twenty (Nelson Mandela, forced marriage, AIDS, the West African tea ceremony…). An encouraging number of the singers shown seem to have a social conscience, and many have returned to their West African homes from France where they have had to go to get access to the technology for production.

To hear a taste of Senegalese Fulani Baaba Maal singing, go and watch the video of “Mi yeewnii”. Great stuff.

Update: The BBC are in the middle of a bit of a focus on Africa at the moment with "Africa lives on the BBC" There is some interesting stuff out there. I obviously don't watch enough TV, as this crept up on me without me realising it was there.

Posted by Keith at 08:31 AM | Comments (2)

June 21, 2005

African Rhythms

I'll be watching The African Rock 'n' Roll Years tonight, and will report back tomorrow.

On BBC4 at 9pm, it is the first in six programmes about West African music. Tonight it traces the roots of West African music to the ancient Mande empire that once controlled much of West Africa. The music was handed down from generation to generation through the hereditary praise singers, the griots.

Griots are a central part of Fulani culture. My colleague Steve has begun to learn to play the the traditional one-stringed guitar of the Fulani griots. He wants to use it to tell the story of Jesus in a meaningful Fulani way. He does a wonderful recitation of the Beatitudes, using a traditional Fulani griot tune. In his posting "Blood in the guitar", he tells of his experiences and insights, as he learned to play .

Best-selling artists Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal and Salif Keita appear tonight. Ali Farka Toure, Baaba Maal and Daara J support the theory that this region of Africa was the birthplace of major musical styles like the blues, reggae and hip hop.

Posted by Keith at 05:48 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2005

Bono at the BBC on Africa

Bono speaks about Aid, Trade, Corruption, and the future of Africa in an interview with BBC television. Watch the 7min video here.

Posted by Keith at 07:15 AM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2005

Singing for Africa: Live 8 and friends

If I wasn't going to be in Edinburgh on July 2, I'd like to be here.

Bob, Bono and co have inevitably come in for criticism for their Live 8 concerts - some of it more legitimate than other...

Charity doesn't work?
Some, despite well-publicised information to the contrary, think that this is just about telling people to give more money, and say that aid does more harm than good. Actually, while it is true that the wrong kind of aid definitely can do harm, well-directed aid saves lives, and gives the much-needed impetus for development. Aid on its own is not enough, but we need more aid, and we need to direct it better.

But this time the concerts are not about giving money. Aid on its own is not enough. This time, they are about mobilising people to speak up for justice. They are calling upon the G8 leaders to act for the poor, not only in more and better aid, but also in Trade justice and Debt relief.

Mere pop stars?
Others have questioned the right of mere pop stars to speak on political issues. Wouldn't it be better if they just dipped into their own millions and shut up? Well, they are certainly vulnerable to criticism. We might not like certain aspects of their morality, or their influence. But Bob, Bono and others do actually give their time and money for Africa. And isn't it better that they use the influence they do have to call people to a concern for justice for the poor, rather than just perpetuate the pursuit of wealth and self-indulgence that is so much at the heart of life today?

Okay, so the message may get over-simplified, distorted, and even somewhat lost in the hype. But at least Africa and poverty are on the agenda - people are talking about it.

African musicians neglected
But one area I think the concerts could have done better is to have actually had better representation from Africa itself. The danger is that we give the image that Africa needs to be "saved" by white guys, whereas we are actually also part of the problem. There are some great African musicians, like Baaba Maal and Salif Keita. Wouldn't it have been great to have had them headlining above U2, Coldplay, and Pink Floyd? Working together, with Africa at the front...

Posted by Keith at 01:29 PM | Comments (4)

June 15, 2005

Wolfowitz in Burkina Faso: Agricultural subsidies must be cut

So, Paul Wolfowitz, head of the World Bank, has been to Burkina Faso.

And he has said that the key to helping Africa's poor cotton growers is to cut the subsidies paid to U.S. and European agriculture producers. Great stuff.

Reuters reports: "On a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Burkina Faso, Wolfowitz said the World Bank would have a "strong voice" at the Doha trade talks to make a case for wealthy nations to reduce agricultural subsidies worldwide.

The subsidies cut into revenues of impoverished countries like Burkina Faso, one of Africa's biggest cotton growers...

Developing countries are pushed out of the market by the subsidies rich nations pay their cotton farmers. They argue the huge subsidies to U.S. cotton producers - which at $4 billion are larger than the whole Burkina Faso economy - are the cause of a collapse in cotton prices. America's cotton subsidies were declared illegal earlier this year.

"The key to tackling the problem of cotton subsidies, which obviously hurts farmers here in Burkina Faso and in other poor countries ... is to tackle agricultural subsidies across the board (in the Doha trade round)," Wolfowitz said.

The World Bank estimates that cotton subsidies in the United States and Europe are cutting into the profits of seven West African producing countries by about $250 million a year. Burkina is estimated to have lost $22m this year as a result of the subsidies.

Wolfowitz was speaking after a tour of a cotton-processing factory in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in Burkina. It is encouraging to hear him acknowledging the trade injustice with agricultural subsidies that benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. Burkina Faso, third poorest country in the world, is a typical example of this. It has a good cotton industry - it is now West and Central Africa's leading cotton producer. About 4 million of its population of 11 million depend on cotton for a livelihood. But this is being undermined by rich country subsidies.

Let us pray for justice in trade to benefit the poor, and for G8 leaders to tackle the issue when they meet together in July.

Posted by Keith at 10:57 AM | Comments (2)

June 12, 2005

Wolfowitz, the Fulani, and Burkina Faso

Paul Wofowitz has begun his first trip to Africa with a visit to some Fulani in Nigeria! He will later be visiting Burkina Faso - my adopted second home. Ah, I would have so much to talk with him about when he gets back!

Wolfowitz' appointment as head of the World Bank was controversial as he was seen by many as lacking the necessary development credentials, and unsuitable because of his involvement in Iraq. He appears at this point however to be displaying genuine commitment to listen, learn, and act for the poor in Africa. Let us pray that this all leads to action promoting justice for the poor.

Posted by Keith at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

Towards Jubilee

More than expected, less than hoped - this seems to be the summary of the response to the G8 finance ministers' meeting yesterday.

It is nonetheless a good start, following on from promises made at the G7 finance ministers meeting earlier in the year. £22 billion is available to write off 100% of debts of the 18 countries who have already qualified. They have qualified through achieving targets of "good governance" and "tackling corruption." It will allow these countries to spend money on education and health that would otherwise have been given to servicing debt.

My adopted second home country of Burkina Faso is one of the countries that will qualify.

Now, we need to see more action on vastly increasing and improving Aid, and especially on improving justice in Trade for poorer countries. Resolving issues of in justice in trade would give more help than all the aid we give.

Posted by Keith at 08:04 AM | Comments (0)

June 05, 2005

Sorry Stallions

Some news you may have missed: After leading 1-0, Burkina Faso finally lost 2-1 to Ghana in the World Cup qualifying rounds. With only three matches left, this pretty much seals the fate of the national team - called "Les Etalons" (the Stallions) - for both the 2006 World Cup and the 2006 African Nations Cup.

Ah, well, there's always 2010...

Posted by Keith at 07:20 PM | Comments (3)

May 12, 2005

Food Shortages and Food Aid in Burkina

Food shortages and accompanying poverty and malnutrition are getting worse in the north of Burkina Faso according to a report by the FAO.

This is due to the impact of last year's locust swarm, which destroyed 90% of the harvest in the north of Burkina Faso. This was made worse by the problems in the Ivory Coast, which has caused the flight of many Burkinabes who had been working there and sending money back home to Burkina.

"Millet prices continue to climb, while livestock prices have been falling, the agency said. The conditions for livestock production are deteriorating due to scarce pasture and water resources. The movement of animals in search of water and feed has already led to local conflicts...Severe child malnutrition is increasing rapidly." Our area is a Fulani area, where cattle are the heart of the culture and economy, so people are very hard hit.

I had a phone call from Burkina the other day, from one of my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom. It was lovely to hear from them, but they also confirmed that the situation is bad there. People particularly need additional food aid for the upcoming lean season, livestock feed, and seeds and other farming inputs for the next growing season. FAO is appealing for $11.4 million to provide agricultural inputs and assist pastoralists in the affected countries.

Food Aid
I want to try and raise a few thousand pounds for aid specifically for the area around where I was living. This will be done throught the local church there. If you can help, please send cheques (marked on the back "Gorom-Gorom famine relief in Burkina Faso") to World Horizons, at one of the following addresses:
World Horizons, North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
World Horizons, PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA

Steve and I did distribute over £10 000 of aid across the north of Burkina at the start of the year, in liaison with the World Food Programme. But it was just a drop in the ocean, and we are now coming up to the hardest time of the year - when people have used up any resources, but need the extra energy for working the fields. Thanks for anything you can do.

God bless you.

Posted by Keith at 11:54 AM | Comments (5)

May 11, 2005

Better news on the locusts

Good news: the latest report on the new locust threat to West Africa expects the invasion to be only mild this year. An added encouragement is that 90% of the necessary finance should already be available to deal with the threat.

The swarm is only expected to be 10% of the size of last year's swarm, which was the largest for 15 years, causing loss of 90% of the harvest in the north of Burkina. Cold weather and intense spraying of the developing swarm in North Africa have significantly reduced this year's threat.

Thank God, and continue to pray for Burkina. This is a huge relief. Our friends in Burkina are still suffering from the events of last year - not only the locust swarm, but also the consequences of the situation in the Ivory Coast. More on that tomorrow...

Posted by Keith at 11:07 PM | Comments (1)

May 07, 2005

It's turned out sunny again (a poem)

It's May, the hottest month in Gorom-Gorom.

The temperature has been up to about 45C (113F) in the shade so far, and will reach close to 50C (122F) before the end of the month. At night, you sleep outside, with only a pair of shorts between you and the stars. But still the temperature leaves you sweating through the night. You wish you could unbutton your skin and climb out of that, too.

There are many challenges to overcome in taking the gospel to the needy and unreached of the 10-40 widow: spiritual opposition, physical hardship, discouragement, our own apathy... The heat is one more draining element in the battle. It saps the strength and wilts good intention. It acts also as a metaphor of both the spiritual need and the spiritual opposition that we, the church face, as we wimp out of the challenge to take the good news of Jesus to the difficult places on earth.

Please pray for my colleague Steve, as he perseveres in the ministry in Burkina, seeking to bring life to the Fulani. And pray for an outpouring of God's Spirit - both upon the Fulani, and upon the church He sends into all the world.

Now, I don't write poetry.
However...
This is a sort of a poem I wrote a couple of years ago during the hot season. I was sitting sweating in the shade of a mat shelter. It was too hot to do anything, and too hot to do nothing. And so I put my feelings down on paper. It's called: It's turned out sunny again...

Continue reading "It's turned out sunny again (a poem)"

Posted by Keith at 12:33 PM | Comments (3)

April 30, 2005

Sudan

"The two-year conflict has left some 180,000 people dead and two million people have fled their homes."

"During a scene in Hotel Rwanda, Paul - the hotel manager - sees some footage that the Western journalists have shot in the streets that shows piles of bodies and roving gangs with machetes in the streets. He is certain that once this is shown on American and European television that the powers in the West will come to the aid of the Rwandan victims of genocide. In one of the most gut-wrenching moments of truth I've ever seen on film, the cameraman replies, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh, my God, that's horrible.' And then they'll go on eating their dinners." (from Steve.)
How will we respond this time?

More on Sudan:
A challenge and Pictures from Steve
Save Darfur
Sudan Watch
Save the Children

Latest news:
"The African Union has agreed to more than double the number of its peace monitors in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur. The peacekeepers are monitoring a ceasefire signed a year ago, which both Darfur rebels and pro-government Arab militias regularly violate.... the AU asked Nato for logistical and financial support for its mission in Darfur. Nato is considering the request."

Posted by Keith at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2005

Africa Malaria Day - Part 3: Obstacles

Malaria kills nearly 1 million children in Africa/year. We have the tools to prevent and treat it. So why is it still such a big killer?

1. Poverty
"In Africa today, malaria is understood to be both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty." (RBM) Families cannot afford the drugs or mosquito nets. And African countries often don't have the resources to develop effective anti-malarial campaigns. Often they have had to cut back education and health spending, for example, in order to repay the interest on debt from western loans. It would cost about $2b to put effective malaria control in place. In the meantime, malaria costs African countries $12b/year.

2. Conflict.
Up to 30% of Africa’s malaria deaths are in countries where war, food shortages and displacement affect large numbers of people. Today, over 120 million people in Africa alone are living in countries affected by such emergencies. Malaria deaths during these events are usually more than those caused by the conflict itself. The chaos following civil unrest can destroy health systems, cut food supplies and expose people to many infections. Poor living conditions in temporary camps and war-affected towns increase disease, and weaken people’s immune defense. (See RBM)

3. Practical considerations.
To put an effective long-term anti-malarial strategy in place, also requires training, education, reliable distribution to remote areas, and workable structures and partnerships, and these are not always easy. Roll Back Malaria is a main partnership working to bring countires and organisations together to combat malaria. Although they have had some successes (see also here), they have also been criticised for inefficiency. There have also been problems with supply shortages of drugs.

4. Lack of international commitment
Clearly, combatting malaria requires financial, practical, and legislative help internationally. As AMREF said: "We have the tools to both prevent and control this disease, but we lack sufficient resources." More financial investment is needed to assure that affordable (therefore subsidised) drugs are available, and that organisations like RBM have the necessary funding to operate properly. The appropriate use of DDT should be supported. Poor countries' debt should be forgiven, to allow them to spend resources on priority issues such as health and education. And aid and trade should be reformed to be made more effective for poor countries.

So what can we do? The final part tomorrow...

Posted by Keith at 09:56 AM | Comments (3)

April 23, 2005

Africa Malaria Day - Part 2: We have the tools.

Malaria kills more than 1 million people a year, 90% in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly children under 5. Malaria accounts for one in five of all childhood deaths in Africa. Anaemia, low birth-weight, epilepsy, and neurological problems are all consequences of malaria, and affect the development of millions of children in Africa.

But we have the tools to combat malaria in Africa, using a combination of prevention and treatment:

1. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Nets are the focus of malaria prevention. Most malaria-carrying mosquitoes bite at night. Mosquito nets provide a physical barrier to hungry mosquitoes. If treated with insecticide, the nets are more effective again. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are shown to reduce deaths in young children by an average of 20%. Almost 20 African countries have reduced or eliminated taxes and tariffs on ITNs to make them more affordable. But they are still expensive for families at risk of malaria, who are among the poorest in the world. Also, people who are not familiar with ITNs need to be convinced of their usefulness, and persuaded to re-treat the nets regularly.

2. DDT spraying.
As an insecticide, DDT is more effective and cheaper than most alternatives. However, its use has been highly controversial. DDT is a "persistant organic pollutant", or POP. These are chemicals which take a long time to break down, accumulate in the food chain, and therefore can be damaging to the environment, and potentially hazardous to human health. DDT does have environmental consequences, but - until recently - was not shown to have harmful effects on humans. Environmental organisations are widely considered to have scored an own goal in persistently seeking a complete ban on the use of DDT. More recently, they have come to recognise that the potential benefits of discriminating use of DDT as an effective insecticide outweigh the current risks. Sprayed on the inside of houses it can significantly reduce malaria without significant threat to environment or human health. WHO now authorises the use of DDT, but its use is generally not funded by western donor agencies or countries, and some countries are still seeking its complete ban.

3. Treatment: Cheap, effective anti-malarial drugs.
Anti-malarial treatment has been prohibitively expensive for many living in absolute poverty on under $1/day, and resistance has become widespread to the drugs. A new combination of two drugs - artemether and lumefantrine - is the most effective way to treat the disease. But Theonest Mutabingwa, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says: "The cost of the drug means that it is likely to reach only a fraction of those who need it, unless the price is substantially reduced either through market mechanisms or, more realistically, through subsidy."

We have the tools. So why is malaria still such a major killer? More tomorrow...

Posted by Keith at 02:23 PM | Comments (1)

April 22, 2005

Africa Malaria Day - Part 1

Monday 25 April is Africa Malaria Day (thanks, Brandon, for pointing this out), so this is the first in a short series of postings about malaria.

Malaria kills over 1 million people each year, 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. That is 3 tsunamis each year....

Malaria is caused by a parasite injected into the blood stream by the mosquito. It causes fever, shaking, and headaches, and can produce vomiting, delirium, and - evidently - death. I have had it a few times, and have friends - African and western - who have died from it. It is bad.

Work is still continuing to look for a vaccine for malaria, but it is still thought to be 10 years off. As westerners visiting Africa, we of course have the possibility of preventative medicine, mosquito nets, mosquito sprays, mosquito-proofed houses, and access to medical treatment if necessary. Most Africans have access to none of this, either because it's not available, or because it is costs money they don't have. In addition, their resistance is often lowered by poor diet, as well as by other disease. Malarial death in Africa is thus directly linked to poverty. Malaria is a justice issue.

Unless the world shows a greater commitment to tackling the disease, many of the Millenium Development Goals remain unattainable. Malaria is relevant to at least five of the eight MDGs: poverty eradication, universal primary education, child mortality reduction, maternal health improvement, and the combat of other diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

Chris White of AMREF says: “We have the tools to both prevent and control this disease, but we lack sufficient resources to scale them up, particularly among the more remote and marginalized communities of Africa.”

So, what can be done about it? More tomorrow.

Posted by Keith at 04:08 PM | Comments (3)

April 11, 2005

Business for Africa

Following on from the Commission for Africa report, over 200 business leaders gathered in London recently, and committed themselves to action in support of Africa. They are also calling on the business community throughout the world to sign up to a Business Action for Africa Plan. This is a clear set of actions that seek to promote a prosperous Africa for all its people.

Posted by Keith at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2005

More locusts coming to Burkina Faso

This report from Relief Web tells us the consequences of the last locust invasion<