The Anti-Bono

Q: As a native of Zambia with advanced degrees in public policy and economics from Harvard and Oxford, you are about to publish an attack on Western aid to Africa and its recent glamorization by celebrities. ‘‘Dead Aid,’’ as your book is called, is particularly hard on rock stars. Have you met Bono? 
I have, yes, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year. It was at a party to raise money for Africans, and there were no Africans in the room, except for me.

       

Chris Floyd for The New York Times

What do you think of him? 
I’ll make a general comment about this whole dependence on “celebrities.” I object to this situation as it is right now where they have inadvertently or manipulatively become the spokespeople for the African continent.

You argue in your book that Western aid to Africa has not only perpetuated poverty but also worsened it, and you are perhaps the first African to request in book form that all development aid be halted within five years. 
Think about it this way — China has 1.3 billion people, only 300 million of whom live like us, if you will, with Western living standards. There are a billion Chinese who are living in substandard conditions. Do you know anybody who feels sorry for China? Nobody.

Maybe that’s because they have so much money that we here in the U.S. are begging the Chinese for loans. 
Forty years ago, China was poorer than many African countries. Yes, they have money today, but where did that money come from? They built that, they worked very hard to create a situation where they are not dependent on aid.

What do you think has held back Africans? 
I believe it’s largely aid. You get the corruption — historically, leaders have stolen the money without penalty — and you get the dependency, which kills entrepreneurship. You also disenfranchise African citizens, because the government is beholden to foreign donors and not accountable to its people.

If people want to help out, what do you think they should do with their money if not make donations?
Microfinance. Give people jobs.

But what if you just want to donate, say, $25? 
Go to the Internet and type in Kiva.org, where you can make a loan to an African entrepreneur.

Do you have a financial interest in Kiva? 
No, except that I’ve made loans through the system. I don’t own a share of Kiva.

You just left your longtime job as a banker for Goldman Sachs in London, where you live. What did you do there, exactly? 
I worked in the capital markets, helping mostly emerging countries to issue bonds. That’s why I know that that works.

Which countries sought your help? 
Israel, Turkey and South Africa, primarily.

Why didn’t you get a bond issue going in your native Zambia or other African countries? 
Many politicians seem to have a lazy muscle. Issuing a bond would require that the president and the cabinet ministers go out and market their country. Why would they do that when they can just call up the World Bank and say, “Can I please have some money?”

I keep reading about a new crop of African presidents who are supposedly free-market guys, including Rupiah Banda, the president of Zambia. 
There are lots who are nominally free market, but they haven’t been aggressive about implementing those policies.

What do your parents do? 
My mother is chairman of a bank called the Indo-Zambia Bank. It’s a joint venture between Zambia and India. My father runs Integrity Foundation, an anticorruption organization.

For all your belief in the potential of capitalism, the free market is now in free fall and everyone is questioning the supposed wonders of the unregulated market. 
I wish we questioned the aid model as much as we are questioning the capitalism model. Sometimes the most generous thing you can do is just say no.

 

To listen to Dambisa Moyo click on link below.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101986498

I have always wondered why the death rate from diseases in most developing countries is so high. For example, in 2003 alone, more than 1,000 Zambian women died of cervical cancer with two or more dying every week. There are reports that say that number has slightly decreased, yet there are no programs that have been started to raise awareness. Which makes it hard to believe that the numbers have indeed gone down. Why are so many women dying from a disease that can be diagnosed early and treated?

Most poor people usually end up going to the doctor when when an illness has seriously advanced. A number of people will usually wait and hope that pain medication such as aspirin helps or they rely on some herbal concoctions. On the other hand, many times I have heard of patients who went to see a doctor, only to be told by the doctor that the problem is not serious and that the patient must wait and see if the problem progresses. In the mean time they are simply given pain medication. Getting rid of pain does not indicate that the problem is gone. 

There are a number of diseases that if taken care of immediately do not advance or cause other problems. Take for example the number of women who found out they had growths in their uterus but were told not to do anything about them only later to find they had cancer. Certain growths may not be cancerous such as fibroids but sometimes the symptoms alone require immediate intervention. The lesson here is that women and men should take their health seriously and consider second opinions. It is absolutely not wrong to go out and ask several doctors if you are not satisfied by a doctor telling you to wait. Do not wait just to become a statistic. 

The first reason is that the pirates are making it harder for the rest of the African continent in regards to sending goods to Africa. Sending a container to Africa costs over $8000. It is expensive as it is to send anything to Africa. To cover these new costs for protection and training sailors self defense, shipping companies will now charge even more for a service that is already expensive. This is not just going to affect the shipping companies, it affects everyone.

The second reason is that these pirates have no regard for their fellow african people that are suffering. How can you take over a ship that is supplying aid to Kenya? It is one thing to go after companies that are shipping oil, timber, etc., but when you hold a ship and know that someone’s life depends on you, how awful is that. For this reason alone, for the disregard for human life, I feel they they need to be treated like criminals and taken out at any cost.

The third reason is that few people care about Africa, with this new issue we are bound to become forgotten forever. Even though this crime is being committed by a few people from one country Somalia, reporters and a lot of people who do not know that Africa has several countries are quick to say this is a crime taking place in Africa. This alone can be very discouraging to businesses wanting to do business in Africa, because they now have to add pirates to the equation.

Why do some people think other people have to work so hard and all they have to do is carry a gun and everything belongs to them.

Written by The African Collector

If there is one common item in all kitchens and dinning tables in Zambia its the item called Salt. I wish it was the nicely decorated plates, or the beautiful place-mats, but in this case it is salt. If anyone visits the University Teaching Hospital you will find that a number of patients there have high blood pressure. Especially these days it is not uncommon to hear of young people who just collapsed and died. Last year alone I know of 3 young people in their thirties who had high blood pressure unfortunately all died, one just collapsed, one never woke up, the other her heart beat became irregular. There a countless number of young and old people who are dying everyday. 

When food is being cooked in most households almost a teaspoon of salt is added. At the dinner table people will add more salt, sometimes even before the food is tasted. I used to think the amount of salt added was normal until I decided not to add salt to the food I cooked. I read an article on the causes of High blood pressure and decided the first item to reduce was my salt intake. Off-course it took a lot getting used to, especially if one was used to putting salt on mangoes, lemons, avocados etc. Initially, I reduced the amount I put when cooking. After, I stopped putting salt altogether and only added spices to compensate for the lack of taste. I would say I achieved my goal after a month, and since then I have not been the greatest fun for salt except now and then when the spices do not add much flavor I add a sprinkle of salt, just a bit. 

I actually did not realize how much salt I used to eat before until I was invited to a friends house who I had visited on several occasions for lunch. I remember eating the food and the first thought that came to my mind was ‘salt’. I think I wanted to say the food tastes nice but I couldn’t get those words out of my mouth, especially when I knew so well that my friend had been on high blood pressure medication for years. We indeed did end up talking about high blood pressure and the need to reduce salt. 

The reason it is so important to reduce salt especially as black people is because of our genetics and our lifestyle. First of all, it is well known that black peoples intake of potassium (found in fresh fruits, vegetables, especially bananas, prunes, grapefruits, tomatoes, and potatoes), is less compared to white people. What is the link between potassium and sodium? Scientist have proved that potassium lowers blood pressure by relaxing the small blood vessels and actually helps the body expel excess sodium. Also, black people do not take enough calcium, which is needed to reduce high blood pressure. When someone takes too much salt, that individual retains water, calcium acts like a natural diuretic to help kidneys release sodium and water, thus reducing blood pressure. 

If you are taking high blood pressure medicine such as lisinopril, etc,. it is vital for you to increase your potassium intake by eating the above mentioned foods or asking your doctor to prescribe a diuretic that inhibits the kidneys’ ability to retain water. If potassium levels become too low, heart rhythms may be disturbed. Reduce your salt intake also tell your relatives and neighbors.

The British Medical Journal study found that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk.

Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations.

Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.

The oesophagus is the muscular tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach.

Oesophagus cancers kill more than 500,000 people worldwide each year and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type.

Tobacco and alcohol are the main factors linked to the development of oesophageal cancers in Europe and America.

But it has not been clear why other populations around the world have high rates of the disease although there has been a theory that regularly drinking very hot drinks damages the lining of the gullet.

BBC report.

A friend of mine was asking me how I managed to get my new passport in such a short time.  She begun by telling me that she called the embassy and it looks like she was not going to get hers back on time for her to travel. I explained to her that I called the embassy and resolved that the best thing to do was to send the passport directly to someone in back home, which was way much faster. As the conversation progressed we somehow ended up talking more about the lack of customer service that we both received from the embassy. Below is a conversation I had with the Embassy. 

Customer (after 5 rings): Good morning,  I am calling to find out what I need to do to get a new passport. The passport I have will be expiring in 3 months? 

Embassy: You will need to fill an application form.

Customer: How do I get the forms, can I download them online?

Embassy: No we do not have forms online. Go online to the website and get the email address to send us an email with your name, home address, telephone number, and email address. Then we will send you the forms.

Customer: Since I have you on the phone can I just give you my home address now?

Embassy: No, the procedure is for you to send us an email with your home address.

Customer: Okay, how long will it take to get the passport back?

Embassy: It may take 6 months to a year.

Customer (Frustrated thats too long): I am planning on traveling to another country in 4 months, what will I use then? 

Embassy: Send us the email first, we will send you the application and then we can talk about your travel plans later. 

Customer (Frustrated): I need to make my travel arrangements now, how can I make plans without me knowing what documents I will use to travel. Why should I have to send you my application, in order for you to just tell me what I will use while my passport is expired. 

Embassy (Even more frustrated than customer): Madam, I am giving you advice. Let me advise you to send us the email with your details and then we will advise you on what you need to do to travel.

Customer (confused with lack of customer service and the confusing process): Thank you! Good bye.

I feel the need to highlight some customer service tips that may have helped this conversation run smoother than it did.

Have some enthusiasm for your job

From the moment the embassy answered, I could tell that the person who answered was not happy answering the phone.  There was lack of enthusiasm in the voice. It felt like I had called at the wrong hour, it was definitely not knock off time. Experts recommend that just simply having a smile on the phone the voice changes. 

Know who your customers are

I believe that the embassy does not see that the citizens abroad are its customers. The purpose of the embassy is to help citizens who are abroad. Treating everyone as your customer not only better serves others, it improves your own reputation. 

Give the customer a solution 

The purpose of my calling was to get a solution, yet I feel like I should never have called. I am not sure why I had to email when the opportunity for someone to avoid wasting time checking email was right in front of them. I am not sure why my question could not be answered when the opportunity to answer was right there, rather I was told to call back later to get an answer to my second question. Customer service dictates that when customers complain to you, it is your responsibility to find a solution. 

Stroke the customers ego

I am very cordial most times, and somehow I expect the same treatment from others.  Even if I was not the best customer, I still expected some kind of respect. There is a better way of telling someone something by using proper language, not, “madam, let me advise you” Good customer service is about stroking the customer’s ego.

I hope these tips make a difference to someone at the embassy.

Top 5 items to know before you immigrate to the U.S.A 

1. The American dream is simply a dream. Someone once said when you get to America only then will you realize that indeed the American dream is ONLY a DREAM! The only way to survive is to wake up and realize that its a dream. The real life only begins after your realization of the above.
2. You will learn that having a plan for your life will make a huge difference on where you work or live. If you do not have a plan, you will find yourself taking any job just to survive. Many immigrants get stuck in jobs they would probably have never done back home. Yes its more money, but if you have a PhD is the time you spent at school worth working at Mcdonalds? Its important that you have a plan, set a time limit to how long you are going to work in any job.Do not ever settle for anything. 
3. Even after being educated you still have to prove yourself (especially if you are black). If you didn’t realize what color your skin is, you will be reminded of this, at work, the neighborhood you live in, etc. When you hear people that have less qualifications than you being promoted because they just have a plain different skin color from you; do not beat yourself so long as you are achieving your goal.
4. You will forever be thinking about sickness, like it or not. Interesting enough living in a developed country you would think thats the last thing on your mind, but no. If you have a job and have medical insurance through your job, lucky you, but guess what the thought of losing your job means you lose your medical insurance too. If you have no job and no insurance thats a big issue. One sickness can forever change your life, worse if you have a major disease like cancer. Hospital bills will wipe you clean, at the sight of that $5000 bill you will start asking yourself as to whether you really need that morphine or the warm blankets. Save your money so you do not have to depend on keeping a job to survive. 
5. Credit cards can make your life great but…they can quickly make your life a living hell. The thought that you can buy anything even when you  have no cash is a great. If you find yourself swallowed in debt, you will soon learn who your friends are…Debt Collectors. These are people you do not want to know, but they want to know you. Before getting yourself in debt, you will get excited each time the phone rings maybe your relatives calling, but once you have debt collectors calling you, the phone will be your worst enemy.  Paper money is better than that plastic card with your name on it!

The moral of this is that as you spend your time applying and waiting for that visa at the Embassy, spend time going through this list. Getting a visa is way much easier than learning to live and survive in America.

As a Zambian I seriously can’t get enough of nshima! Funny enough when I was younger I did not like nshima. The only time I looked forward to eating was when we had rice, spaghetti or potatoes. I remember how at school if you brought nshima people passed terrible comments like, “cold nshima of all things!” Bring spaghetti, you and the whole world are friends! I prayed my parents would never mention boarding school, simply because I heard boarding school in Zambia meant nshima everyday!

I literally avoided nshima, but at 10 age I couldn’t avoid it because like any Zambian family learning how to cook nshima is a big deal. Scared of being burnt, my first attempt was disaster, it came out soft and lumpy; I believe my family ate the nshima out of respect! The next time it was so hard I had to add water. If anyone knows that was the worst mistake ever! The thought of throwing it away and starting all over before my parents came for lunch crossed my mind, but I could hear voices saying this is Gold; thou shalt not! I lived with that mistake.

Now every friday night is nshima night. I look forward to this day because it is friday and because of the food. If I could have nshima everyday I probably would but I have found that eating nshima and driving everywhere makes a huge difference to the way my body looks. I can only afford to eat nshima everyday if I can exercise or walk more everyday-very unlikely! So I make it once a week. 

Every now and then you hear or read about someone who got physically injured because the nshima was not ready when they got home, or nshima was not equally divided. Sometimes I feel like shouting, people please its only nshima! But yet I am reminded of college days when my african friends and I would be cooking nshima at 12:00am. Yes you read right, not 12:00 lunch time, 12:00 midnight. Maybe studying does make one go mad, but I think in this case it was just one person mentioning food and we would all resolve we needed nshima with some kapenta or T-bone. 

When mealie meal runs out in Zambia, or prices have gone up, its a guarantee that that the next day newspaper headlines will read, “Mealie Meal Prices Have Gone Up!.” I have never heard anyone make such a big deal about rice, cassava or potatoes. It could just be that these other foods are not considered food and therefore they will never run out or prices hardly go up. There are people that claim that rice no matter how much one eats it can never be filling as nshima. I have always wondered what mother nature thinks, it has given us rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, yet we stab it in the back and say nshima only!