Africa shouldn't beg
2005-08-30 11:07
Durban - Following his recent food aid mission to famine-stricken Niger, the Gift of the Givers' Dr Imtiaz Sooliman is drumming up support for Africa to establish its own "early warning system" and rapid reaction team, endorsed by but politically independent of the African Union.
"Africa can help itself. We shouldn't be beggars. People need to have the get up and go to do things as there is too much talking," Sooliman said on Monday.
He believes the human catastrophe in Niger could have been managed at a much lower cost, saving lives, "but it could have been prevented altogether and that at an even lower cost".
Sooliman envisages a rapid reaction team "endorsed, financed and supported by the African Union through Nepad and yet independent of the AU, operating as a corporate entity without the extravagant admin costs, maintaining its impartiality, credibility and being free from political interference". He believes that if such an organisation were able to achieve credibility, it would garner international support.
Gift of the Givers is embarking on its Aid Africa Campaign in the meantime and intends to assist the six most vulnerable countries in the SADC region in order to avoid a looming famine crisis in the region. The countries include Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Gift of the Givers, with four permanent staff and a small team of volunteers, is too small but can help with the development of Sooliman's proposed rapid response organisation. "The infrastructure will need to be established as well as the policy and management of such an organisation," said Sooliman, who added that Gift of the Givers can help with expertise.