I spent 2 summers in a small village in Malawi (one of the poorest countries in the world) During my time there, I became close with a few of the leaders of the community especially James. During one of our conversations, I asked him what he wished never made it to Malawi. 1/

He said sex trafficking, drugs and people that bring them food. Yes he compared people bringing food to drugs. You see when humanitarians come in and bring food to distribute, it destroys their way of life. Many people grow crops and bake products to sell. Once food is made 2/

free, those people lose their financial security. In a country where the salary is $1, this is crippling for their economy in the long run. Many people want to help people in Africa but they don’t understand what they really need. I have another friend who is trying his 3/

best to live in here so he can help organizations really understand the best way to help Africa. He’s been trying for over a year & is now looking at Canada bc he isn’t having much luck. He is originally from Nigeria, I met him in Malawi but resides in South Africa now. 4/

He runs a non profit (I guess that’s what it would be considered as) and travels the entire southern region of Africa helping to develop biblical leaders. I was able to watch several men graduate the program.

All this to say, I think that when our govt think it’s helping 5/

out, they are really doing more harm than good. Just like all the people who send food to Africa, it seems great in theory, but it does more harm than good. What’s essential is providing them with the tools, resources and education to help them grow their own food to support

themselves and their economy. Like this lady and her son who grind corn and make cornbread. We have to figure out how to help others without hurting them. That goes for our citizens and others around the world. 7/7