I recently read the fantastic book Africa Doesn’t Matter: How the West has failed the poorest continent and what we can do about it. Giles Bolton provides an informative and easy to read analysis of the the way that the West has tried to help Africa, and discusses the reasons why many attempts of many charitable projects have been unsuccessful.
In Africa Doesn’t Matter, Bolton provides an excellent historical and political insight to why so much poverty exists in Africa. He has experience as a diplomat and NGO worker in East Africa and uses Rwanda to exemplify several points about international development.
I loved reading this book, because it really gets to grips with long term aid, arguing that working with governments and collaboration is the way forward. Giles Bolton raises some fascinating questions and gets to grips with some tough issues in a way that is understandable and relevant. Are the Millenium development goals achievable? How did intellectual property law prevent many African people receieving AIDS medicine? What effect do the American farm subsidies have on farmers in Ghana? What is the African ‘brain drain’ and how is it effecting development in Africa? If you want to know the answers to some of these questions, you simply must read this book.
Africa Doesn’t Matter presents these difficult issues in such a way that you become drawn into the book. When you are given chance to be ‘president for the day’ in a fictional African developing country, you start to understand the true problems of African government, even when a democracy is reached and countries are not going through periods of war and unrest. Bolton then draws on the importance of working within the plans of African governments to achieve what they want to achieve, rather than what the West wants to spend money on! Giles Bolton successfully demonstrates how the way we do international development has to change in order to make a difference.
Giles Bolton successfully argues that one person CAN make a difference by voting with their feet and standing up for what they believe to be right. People can also make a difference by giving money, NOT STUFF, and making sure that money goes into charities with established long term plans that fit in with the goals of the country that they are striving to help. Giving ‘stuff’ just encourages dependency on Westerners, and does not encourage long term development on a country.
Through reading Africa Doesn’t Matter we have started to move forward with new ideas for Kigali Crafts. Our future plans include working with the Rwanda Development Board and Campaigning and Lobbying. As you will see from reading Giles Bolton’s book, these are the things that really can make a difference on a bigger scale. Perhaps charity status is still something that we should still try to apply for, given the work that we do…
Thank you Giles for your insightful account that has been a great influence and support to us!
Amy Trumpeter
Kigali Crafts 