WEST AFRICA …. AN EYE OPENER

We are working our way through the west coast of Africa. West Africa … is largely unknown to many outsiders … including both of us. We don’t know anyone that has been here … its’ reputation is not one that would attract most people we know. It’s typically viewed as a crime ridden place … full of poverty. ( I’ll always remember being told as a kid to eat all my vegetables because of the “starving children in Africa” … I do wonder why me eating my vegetables in Poughkeepsie NY would have any effect on the starving children in Africa ?? … I guess the idea was “not to waste food.” ) So that was my very limited exposure to this part of the world. But now … thanks to the Houthis for causing us to ditch the Red Sea route of our world cruise … we have a chance to learn about a totally new culture.

We found West Africans to be warm, friendly and very pleasant to interact with. My guess is their warmth comes from their value system … “family bonds and close friendships” are typically valued more than anything else in their life. These are obviously great attributes that have probably helped them endure tough times but those “close bonds” have caused some problems for their society as a whole that I”ll explain later.

In the last 30 years … since breaking away from colonialism … the region rapidly setup democracies. West Africa … rich in natural resources … its main economic driver … has actually made significant economic progress. They are one of the fastest growing users of digital technology and mobile phones. ( … coming from nothing that would make sense. ) As a society … they highly respect women … whom have an important role and are major contributors to the economic growth.

SO WHY IS WEST AFRICA STILL SO POOR ???

Unfortunately … despite their progress …. they still have many problems … “not” trying to be a “Debbie Downer” ( I would not want the name “Debbie” these days ) … but after doing some digging into this region … it still has significant issues to overcome. It doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist to figure it out … looking around on our tours or following any news coverage of “West Africa” from anywhere in the world … the press is not too favorable. It is obvious there are still a lot of problems.

They start with a practically “nonexistent” infrastructure … we saw this time and time again … going from port to port and country to country within the region … lacking Agricultural Machinery, Wells, Irrigation Systems, Storage Facilities, Roads … ( Most dirt … with Potholes the size of Mars ) …. The list goes on and on.

Roads and Railways that do exist DO NOT CONNECT with each other. They were put in place during colonialism when the focus was on connecting the inland areas to the coast … taking minerals “out of the country” to Europe …. “not keeping them in.” The transport systems, roads, railway, ships and ports were established for that purpose and have not been updated since.

Low wages have impacted their ability to move forward. A classic example …”Cheap Farm Labor” … Average $5.50/ Day … it’s’ more cost efficient “in the moment” to use manual labor then invest in the long term …new technology. It ends up self perpetuating … keeping down wages… … whether it be farming or another one of their industries … the practice results in inefficient and non competitive practices …

Lack of skills are big problems. Literacy rates are still very high …. So the population does not have a skilled labor force … teachers, engineers or medical professionals. Many children have poor access to schooling … all the things we assume “are a given” … “they average 3 to 7 years” of education. 59 Million kids in this region still “Go to Work” instead of “Going to School.”

When touring the area we asked our guide why many of the colonial buildings that were built during colonization were not better maintained … the answer was “lack of skill”. ( The words of the guide. )

Clean potable water is another big problem everywhere. It is rare to find clean water and major cities don’t have adequate sewage treatment systems. ( I didn’t even go there with our guide … sometimes “ignorance is bliss” ) Electricity is limited and spotty … creating a big problem for refrigeration.

Land and home ownership is almost impossible to obtain … keeping the majority of people in shacks. Though the region has lots of arable land ( farm worthy land ) … in many cases the land is under tribal ownership …. no system exists for individual ownership. In other cases they have poor land registration systems … so squatting, land reform and land theft are common … ownership cannot be clearly established making it almost impossible to get any sort of financing. ( Like the Old Wild West )

In urban areas similar problems exist. There is a preponderance of “partially started” buildings … open cinder block structures that are not completed. Because salaries are so low … banks will only give a loan that covers the first phase of a dwelling. ( aka; the foundation ) More money will not be given until the initial loan is paid off.

… so with $150 a month ( Average Salary ) it takes a LONG time to pay back … in some cases a lifetime or more. So they own a “patch of land and a cinder block foundation.” Many live in it that way … since it often takes generations before it can be completed. Besides not having a home with a proper infrastructure … the practice creates undeveloped urban areas that appear very rundown. ( Seems as though it would be hard to attract tourists … though our Guides consistently say the country is banking on tourism … unless you are looking to showcase “poor living conditions.” )

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY THEY MADE ???

They tend to use the money they have for the Military … ( I assume due to the amount of Civil Unrest and High Crime ) Many of the armed forces are well financed and well equipped … but it means the money … once again … is going “out of the country” for the procurement of weapons vs “invested within” …. little money left for basic social services.

Some of the money also feeds corruption … a big problem … as it is everywhere in the world. Many in positions of authority take … “strong family bonds” to a whole new level … using nepotism and bribery for the benefit of the extended family groups. ( Sounds like they got their training from the Mafia ) … others don’t bother with the excuse of the family … they just “help themselves.”

And then there are dictators …. the Totalitarian regimes that have been in power. Many of these countries are saddled with big debts as they move to a democracy … having to clean up after these regimes that have “helped themselves” and spent them into the ground.

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW ???

So even with economic improvements … a lot has not really “trickled down.” 85% of West Africans subsist on less than $5.50 per day. High unemployment and income inequality continues. Economic policies seem to be unable to do enough for the very needy with almost 50% still living below the poverty line.

Religious conflicts have increased … particularly in the northern areas … where poor conditions tend to be worse … extremism is on the rise leading to economic instablitiy and civil unrest.

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO FIX ???

Obviously there are many reasons West Africa is in the position they are in today … but some of it appears to go back to the Colonial Period. ( As mentioned in prior posts … “the people use to flow freely within the region … from one area to another.” ) Borders were loosily defined by tribes and cultures. After colonization … the territories were divided based on the needs of the Europeans … ( ie; The Gambia … an odd shaped country because France wanted to lay claim to the river … and now the most densely populated country in all of Africa with its’ tiny strip of land. )

In the process of colonizing they split up tribes and ethnic groups of the region. Since they gained their Independence the same European borders have remained in place. And today there are more cross border struggles, ongoing conflicts and long standing civil wars than ever.

WHAT IS ANYONE DOING TO HELP ???

So the UN is trying to help … they tried Economic Aid …. poured in $500B … from 1960 to 1997. They concluded it didn’t really work …with corruption much of it did not “trickle down” to the people … and whatever did … created more of a dependence on the aid rather than fix the fundemtal problems.

So they continue to have their issues … recently over 6M people were displaced … 4K plus died due to armed rebellion, unconstitutional changes in government and illegal maritime activities. ( Crazy Maritime stuff is covered in a Prior Post )

In 1975 they formed a 15 state National Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS ) led by a guy from the region who represents West Africa to UN Security.

The goal … “Promote Economic Cooperation to Improve the Living Standards for All.” ECOWAS … funded by the UN … has been around for a while … one can debate how much actually improved … but if the countries can get there act together ( whether it be this organization or another ) … they will probably be better off than each “decolonized” country trying to “go it alone.” Working collectively … they should be able to have more influence internally and externally. Not unlike “Mighty Malaysia” … the Malaysian Federation that was formed to help improve the influence of the Malysian countries.

If they don’t … they are likely to continue the path they are on … and once again … be exploited … country by country … this time by the “New World Powers” of today. ( ie; What appears to be happening with Nambia and the Chinese … Mining Uranium … China sends in their own laborers rather than developing local skill … taking the minerals back to China … Namibia is left with the “same old problems” … minus some precious minerals. )

This is a pivotal time for West Africa. They have the makings to be a more prosperous region … wealth of minerals, unspoiled land … natural beauty … kind people … with some of the bluest skies left in the world. If they can collectively leverage their assets they might be able to lift themselves out of the cycle they are now in. Tourism might actually start flowing.

Of course all of this is easier said than done … but if they don’t make some pretty big changes starting from within … they will continue down the path they are on … poverty, crime, civil war, piracy and no tourists. Not trying to be another “Debbie Downer” …. Just telling it the way we experienced it.

With all that said … West Africa for us was amazing …. It was an incredible experience and “opened our eyes” to a part of the world we knew nothing about. A REAL EYE OPENER. A positive outcome for us … pirates and all … “Thanks to the Houthis” !!!!!!

Our last Day in Africa …. Coast of Cape Verde … the sand from the Sahara blown 470 miles to the Island.

ONTO THE NEXT CONTINENT .. EUROPE … CANARY ISLANDS …DAY 175