U.S. in Sub-Saharan Africa

Even though it may seem as though there has not been anything done to help Sub-Saharan Africa’s living conditions and third world development; there have been a few ineffective solutions. One of the solutions was to create an infrastructure, but like other solutions, it was ineffective. Another trial that’s been tested in the past, was gaining an economy by starting businesses for the common good of the people, and those businesses would have required workers. In this case, there have been many other efforts, but these were the most ineffective efforts to help with change.

This infrastructure was ineffective because Sub-Saharan Africa inherited a highly dispersed and unevenly distributed infrastructure from its colonial past, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. Since the economy is so low, poverty levels are high with about 300 million people in Sub-Saharan living in poverty, according to the United Nations Development assistant Framework (UNDAF). Another important reason these efforts have not been reliable is because, Africa as a whole has not developed a sustainable and broad-based income growth. It is said that this is because the latest poverty figures illustrate change, according to UNDAF. These are the main reasons why these efforts have not been dependable.

To help Sub-Saharan Africa with its living conditions, and third world development, we must plan to recreate and develop a reliable infrastructure for Sub-Saharan. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, in infrastructure development, Africa has lagged behind the Western Hemisphere for centuries. It has also been said that creating a reliable infrastructure is an important step in the process of alleviating poverty and providing a more equitable set of opportunities for citizens. In my opinion, by creating a reliable infrastructure, Sub-Saharan Africa will have a sustainable transportation system, clean and reliable water methods, and a dependable energy source.

If the United States does not substantially increase its personal assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa then there will be a lack of a developed infrastructure. According to Dick Foeken, Coping with Urban Poverty in Sub- Saharan Africa with special Emphasis on farming, “ [t]hanks to the help of the United States government urban environmental and health risks such as disease from contaminated water and food, from lack of hygiene materials, diseases associated with poor drainage an garbage{…} the situation has gotten slightly better”. It is evident that a lack of a developed infrastructure causes problems such as these. The United States must increase its personal assistance for Sub-Saharan Africa. The countries’ welfare depends on such an increase. Furthermore, Rachel G. wrote in So How Do You Feel, “[s]ure Sub- Saharan Africa is in a low state right now, but without our help they’d be even lower”.  If there is no developed water system then there will be no purified water. In the U.S. our water is purified, yet, we want to water purer. Many people in the U.S. buy water-filters like, Aquasana, Aqua-Pure, and Brita for their homes. In Sub- Saharan Africa that is unheard of. There is no purified water because there is no developed water system and no developed infrastructure. This is supported by Ashton Cronggs The Reality Will Eventually Set In, the minister of infrastructure, Andrew Chenge, in Sub- Saharan Africa answered with a blank look when reporter Ashton Cronggs asked, “[d]o you know where our filthy water system led the life of ten year old Jaha?” Want to make a guess where the filthy water system led Jaha’s life? If there is no purified water, then there will be death and disease. “If no action is taken to address unmet basic human needs for water, as many as 135 million people will die from these diseases by 2020.”, says Peter H. Gleick in a Pacific Institute Research Report for, Dirty Water: Estimated Deaths from Water-Related Diseases 2000-2020.

Although Sub-Saharan has lagged behind, creating a reliable infrastructure is an important step in the process of alleviating poverty and providing a more equitable set of opportunities for citizens. Provided an increase in personal assistance from the U.S., Sub-Saharan Africa will have a sustainable transportation system, clean and reliable water methods, and a dependable energy source.

Post by Derell Jones 11:45am 4/19/2011