Sub-Saharan Africa: an Entrepreneur's Nightmare

Many of us dream of one day owning a company. You know who you are! Who

doesn’t want to work for themselves and get to boss people around? However, what these

aspiring-entrepreneurs often fail to realize is how fortunate they are to have a great deal

of resources and opportunities available to them. This simply isn’t the case for entrepreneurs

in sub-Saharan Africa who are trying to expand their small and medium-sized enterprises,

or SMEs. While SMEs make up 90% of the region’s companies and account for 80% of the

employment, they face multiple barriers in access to finance, hindering their development

and hurting African employers (“The Challenges and Opportunities,” 2018). Of the many

factors contributing to this issue, the two most substantial are the minimal services for

SMEs in the financial sector and the lack of government assistance.

The sub-Saharan African banks, which makeup much of the financial sector, provide

an insubstantial amount of money for SMEs to allow them to grow and consequently
slow down foreign investments. It is notoriously difficult for SMEs to receive loans
because they must already have credit history, which results in generally only larger
and older firms having loans. On top of that, companies applying for loans must deal
with “unfavorable interest rates, complex procedures, informal payments (e.g., bribes)
and high collateral requirements” (Cull). SMEs usually want to avoid this; without the
proper lending of money to kick off a company, they face too much economic hardships
in their first years and are forced to go out of business. At the same time, this increases
the risk involved with foreign investors within these enterprises, causing “investors
[to flee] from Africa because it has perennially been rated as the riskiest region”
(“The Flight of Finance,” 2009). Again, without much foreign investments, countless
owners of SMEs are left to struggle on their own, but when they seek assistance from
the government, they probably don’t get the help they need.

Sub-Saharan African governments are struggling to modernize quickly and keep
up with the needs of many SMEs in the region. For instance, some SMEs who are
being heavily taxed, especially those in Nigeria, have raised major complaints.
However, the failure of a proper response from the government means the SMEs
cannot “draw any tax benefits or breaks from the government” (“The Challenges
and Opportunities,” 2018). This leaves SMEs wasting valuable money that could
be used for purposes of growing the business, directly harming them. Another
issue that stems from this is the inconsistency of governance across different
sub-Saharan African countries (Pedro de Morais Júnior). While there have been
past attempts made to create one system of governance across the entire region,
all have failed and the countries have not created new solutions. As a result, SMEs
in particular countries, such as Nigeria, are put at a disadvantage from other ones
and face more obstacles in reaching their full potential in their economies.

Yet we can help them reach their full potential. Through the lack of opportunities
and assistance for entrepreneurs within sub-Saharan Africa’s financial sectors and
governments, there lies more responsibility under their own civilians-- and us too.
By bringing more awareness and visibility of different African businesses, more
attention can be brought to SMEs, and different African sectors can begin helping
them more. We can directly help support the companies of our future, and support
the growth of Africa too. The dream of an aspiring entrepreneur is universal, and
we should treat it that way.

Works Cited:

“The Challenges and Opportunities of SME Financing in Africa.” London Stock Exchange Group, 2018, https://www.lseg.com/sites/default/files/content/documents/Africa_SMEfinancing_MWv10.pdf.

Cull, Robert, and Thorsten Beck. “Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Finance In Africa.” Brookings, July 2014.

"The flight of finance from Africa." Independent [London, England], 12 Oct. 2009, p. 28. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A209450045/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=aa841f73. Accessed 24 Mar. 2020.

Hjelmgaard, Kim. “Africa's Banks Are Doing What U.S. Banks Aren't: Winning.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 27 Feb. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/02/27/africas-banks-doing-what-u-s-banks-arent-winning/376033002/.

Pedro de Morais Júnior, José. “Making Banking Work for Africa.” International Banker, 26 June 2016, internationalbanker.com/banking/making-banking-work-for-africa/.

Staff, Africa Growth Initiative. “In Case You Missed It: Understanding Access to Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Africa.” Brookings, Brookings, 29 July 2016, www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2014/12/16/in-case-you-missed-it-understanding-access-to-finance-for-small-and-medium-enterprises-in-africa/.

South Africa: Dream Vacation turned Violent Nightmare

           South Africa is a beautiful country due to its magnificent mountains, clearwater beaches, and seemingly cohesive social culture. However, this dream vacation spot is slowly becoming more and more of a nightmare. With the U.K. and many other countries issuing travel advisories against South Africa, this bucket list retreat is losing a lot of its tourist traffic for understandable precautionary reasons(“Safety”). The rise in already considerably high violent crime rates is becoming more and more of a threat to tourists and to South African citizens themselves.

South Africa has seen a rise of sexual offenses, common assault, common robberies, and even murder (“Factsheet”). This is especially concerning considering how astronomically high those crime rates already were. The murder rate of South Africa in 2018/2019 was 36.4 per 100,000 people (“Factsheet”), just over 6 times the rate of the U.S.(“Faststats”). To put this into perspective, a man is murdered every 30 minutes and a woman is murdered every four hours(Wilkinson). This is only amplified by the 35% rise in that statistic over the past seven years(“Factsheet”). The crime rates not only completely overshadow those of the U.S., in 2016 it was ranked as the fourth highest country in the world for its female interpersonal violence rate by the World Health Organization(Wilkinson). 

Additionally to the crime rates themselves, the stigma that has now formed around South Africa due to its brutal reputation is contributing to the matter. According to the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, violence has become normalized in South African culture and is often seen as a valid outlet for resolving conflict(“The Violent”). This normalization is accentuated in the higher concentration of African or in poorer communities. This statistic, most likely due to uneven developement and the legacy of Apartheid, only further plays into the dangerous stereotype surrounding colored Africans. This stereotype threatens the poorer, colored communities as they are now facing the issue of being stereotyped as the perpetrator of crimes, not the victim, posing an obstacle in the way of getting justice as the victims of violent crime through legal action(“The Violent”).

  These violent crimes are not only an issue for the native citizens of South Africa, they also pose a massive threat to the foreigners and tourists that visit. Many countries have implemented travel advisories against South Africa due to the violent crime, including the United Kingdom. The threat is so severe that tourists are advised against using public transport, walking alone in the dark, or even stalling in their driveways or at traffic lights(“Safety”). They have increasingly become the target of crimes such as violent robberies or kidnapping due to the stereotype that the British tourists are wealthier than the citizens(“The Violent”).

The grave epidemic of violent crime in South Africa is an extremely disheartening and profound issue, however, there seems to be very little being done about it. With the crime rates constantly on the rise and the harsh stereotype tainting the beautiful country, the future seems bleak for the victims of South African violent crime. The road to recovery for South Africa, is a long one. As Chandre Gould, a senior researcher in the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme of the Institute for Security Studies, states “Just as there is no single cause of violence and crime, there is no single solution”(Marisa, et al.).

Works Cited

“FACTSHEET: South Africa's Crime Statistics for 2018/19.” Africa Check, Africa

Check 2020, 12 Sept. 2019, 11, africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-south-africas-crime-statistics-for-2018-19/.

“FastStats - Homicide.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 30 May 2013,

www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm.

Marisa, et al. “Why Is Crime and Violence so High in South Africa?” Africa

Check, Africa Check, 30 Oct. 2017,

africacheck.org/2014/09/17/comment-why-is-crime-and-violence-so

-high-in-south-africa-2/.

“Safety and Security - South Africa Travel Advice.” GOV.UK, Government Digital

Service, www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/safety-and-

security.

“THE VIOLENT NATURE OF CRIME IN SOUTH AFRICA .” A Concept Paper for the

Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, The Centre for the Study of

Violence and Reconciliation , 25 June 2007, www.csvr.org.za/docs/crime/compatibility_mode.pdf.

Wilkinson, Kate. “Five Facts: Femicide in South Africa .” Africa Check, 3 Sept.

2019, africacheck.org/reports/five-facts-femicide-in-south-africa/.

The Legacy of Language

South Africa is home to some of the most fascinating languages on Earth, but they are under threat and little understood or appreciated by Western culture. 

The majority of the most widely-spoken world languages stem from one proto-language: Indo-European. In fact, six out of the ten most spoken languages stem from Indo-European (Lane, James). A few of these languages include English, Spanish, Hindi, and Portuguese. Each of these languages is unique in its vocabulary and phonology, but they are not incredibly foreign to each other. But what about non-Indo-European languages? 

There are many common non-Indo-European, such as Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, which are very different from the Indo-European languages we know. Mandarin takes the phonology in a completely different direction, with a spoken language that relies heavily on tones and syllabic stress, and Arabic, which uses sounds created by completely cutting off airflow from the throat. All these sounds are unique and sometimes seen as strange, especially to speakers of Indo-European languages. However, these languages have nothing on the phonology of the Xhosa language, a Nguni Bantu language spoken predominantly in South Africa. Not only does spoken Xhosa use a tonal system (similar to that of Mandarin), it also utilizes a series of eighteen clicks, each with a distinct sound. There is no equivalent for the majority of the world’s population, but some sounds resemble the way we would call a horse or the common exclamation of disapproval “tsk tsk”. However, the Xhosa language’s measly 18 clicks pales in comparison to one of its neighboring languages; the Taa (ǃXóõ) language, which has upwards of 100 consonants, and as many as 80 ‘clicks’ (Claassens, Carina), which is astronomically higher than the average consonant inventory of a language, which falls between 22 and 25 consonants(Maddieson, Ian). For anyone apart from Taa’s 3,000 estimated native speakers in Botswana (Comrie, Bernard), a language like Taa may sound like a nightmare to learn, which may be part of the reason why Taa, among seemingly countless other indigenous African languages, is now in serious danger of extinction. 

Ease of learning is a vital factor in the survival of a language, which is one of the reasons why native African languages are going extinct so rapidly. In contrast, The Afrikaans language is generally considered one of the easiest languages to speak in the world(O’Rourke, Ryan), with a simple grammar structure and a very tame phonology. This is especially true for English speakers, as Afrikaans is one of the most similar languages to English in the world, as both languages share West-Germanic origins (Herzog,Marvin Irving). Afrikaans and English have become the Lingua Francas of South Africa, meaning they are used to communicate universally, often for business reasons. However, with Germanic languages like English and Afrikaans becoming the norm, this creates an issue with learning a language like Xhosa or other native African languages. One would be hard-pressed to find a language more different from English or Afrikaans than the Xhosa language, which has a completely alien phonological library and speaking pattern from English or Afrikaans, making languages like Xhosa extremely difficult to master for someone who natively speaks a language like Afrikaans or English.

Language has a definite impact on culture, and when a language dies, a part of the culture dies with it. N|uu is a language spoken in South Africa similar to the Taa (!Xoo) language and is spoken by the San people (Pejoratively called ‘Bushmen’) The N|uu language is a functionally extinct language, meaning it is no longer spoken on a daily basis. It does have a handful of speakers, however, they all live separately from each other, and cannot intercommunicate. N|uu is one of the luckier languages, though, as it’s revival efforts have been somewhat successful, and there are now some passive speakers. This is thanks to Katrina Esau, an elderly native speaker of N|uu who had opened a school dedicated to teaching local children the N|uu language. In the modern world, it is often difficult to maintain a thriving culture, especially with the spread of industrialization and subsequent cultural homogeny. Spreading this dying language helped reaffirm a sense of culture for many San people,  as language is one of the only things left that connects them to their history. The main reason N|uu (along with hundreds of other African languages) was endangered, to begin with, was colonialism and the attempts by Dutch colonizers to purge South Africa of its native languages. This caused deep-rooted shame in the culture and language of native South Africans, which may explain the reluctance to learn their native languages.

While languages like English and Afrikaans may be more convenient to learn for the sake of business and general communication, these non-native languages lack the intricate cultural vocabulary that many native African Languages possess. English and Afrikaans have a vocabulary that works well for the culture and lifestyle of their place of origin, which for both languages is in Western Europe, which both emphasize more urban lifestyles, and have a vocabulary that corresponds to that. In contrast, Pre-Colonial South Africa was largely hunter-gatherer-based and day-to-day life was lived in villages and tribes, which were often nomadic. Subsequently, these African languages reflect their unique cultural identity through specific vocabulary “‘When you look at the African languages, you learn that they help communicate different perspectives on life, relationships, spirituality, the earth, health, humanity,’”(Fihlani, Pumza). Cultural language contains a great deal of knowledge about how life was lived by the descendants of their native speakers “There is a wealth of knowledge on survival that has been passed down through the years in indigenous communities that the Western world knows very little about and when these languages die, that unique knowledge is also lost,”(Fihlani, Pumza).

Despite ever-expanding industrial society, not all hope is lost for Indigenous peoples and their Languages. Many continue to battle for their cultural identity, and though many cultures and languages are lost along the way, many live on, thus preserving their culture. These languages provide a huge amount of information, which continues to inform us about how life used to be in Africa and restores the connection between the people of today and their ancestors.

Claassens, Carina. “This Is the World's Most Difficult Language.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 13 Aug. 2017, theculturetrip.com/africa/botswana/articles/this-is-the-worlds-most-difficult-language/. This is from a travel-blog-style website aimed to educate curious tourists about their destination at a rudimentary level. Though not the most scholarly, it is a reputable travel website and offers simple numerical information. There is very little subjectivity in this article, especially when it comes to the numerical data and evidence. This data also aligns with what many other sources say.

Comrie, Bernard. “Taa.” DOBES, 2012, dobes.mpi.nl/projects/taa/language/. This source seems quite reliable. This is a well-accredited source based in Germany and was written at a university. The source is dedicated t researching endangered world languages, and the data all aligns with its sources.

Fihlani, Pumza. “Trying to Save South Africa's First Language.” BBC News, BBC, 30 Aug. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39935150. This is a second-person account of how the near extinction and revival has affected one of the only remaining speakers of the language. It is from BBC which is typically a very reliable source. There is little quantitative data, but this source is being used more for pathos than logos.

Herzog, Marvin Irving, et al. “West Germanic Languages.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Oct. 2010, www.britannica.com/topic/West-Germanic-languages. Brittanica is typically a very reliable source for quantitative data. The data used is widely attested and common knowledge among scholars. Much is known about this topic, and there is little room for error. There is virtually 0 pathos in this publication, so there is a very low chance of high subjectivity.

“Https://Undark.org/2018/04/04/Language-Brain-Cognition-Perception/.” Https://Undark.org/2018/04/04/Language-Brain-Cognition-Perception/, DigitalVison Getty/Vectors, 2018, zjf683hopnivfq5d12xaooxr-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lang2-1480x833.jpg.

Lane, James. “The 10 Most Spoken Languages In The World.” Babbel Magazine, 19 Sept. 2019, www.babbel.com/en/magazine/the-10-most-spoken-languages-in-the-world. This is from a successful and reliable language learning website, and the data is easy to find and likely accurate. The author is very credible and has worked for NPR along with being a language teacher for a number of years. The data is widely researched and is pretty straightforward, and the data seems in accordance with any other iterations I've seen of it.

Maddieson, Ian. WALS Online - Chapter Consonant Inventories, 2013, wals.info/chapter/1. This article is from WALS or the World Atlas of Language Structures, which is entirely dedicated to the structure of languages. This provides, simple, quantitative data in a very objective way. It is published by Oxford University, which helps its credibility.

O'Rourke, Ryan. “4 Easy Foreign Languages You Never Thought of Learning (and Why You Should).” Matador Network, 24 Oct. 2013, matadornetwork.com/abroad/4-easy-foreign-languages/. This is another reputable travel website with a rudimentary language section. The article is about the easiest languages to learn. While ease of learning a language is highly subjective, this article provides reasoning as to why the languages mentioned are easy to learn. Once again, this information checks out with many other sources and seems completely logical.

How a Small African Country is Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

How a Small African Country is Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

Could you imagine living in a country threatened to be consumed by rising sea levels? Since the industrial revolution, humans have polluted the planet with new factories and manufacturing centers. Rising temperatures, dying species, and environmental destruction are threatening the prosperity of human civilization. Today, you might think of Norway or Sweden as the leaders of climate action, but in reality, Morocco has led the world in climate action holding international conferences to push for more commitment (Bounoua). Almost every country in the world has failed to meet environmental requirements, pushing us further and further into the depths of global warming. It is time that a nation shows the world how they can create a healthy, working relationship with the environment (Dekkak). 

The climate challenges currently facing the African continent are dangerous, and they will likely continue to grow. Africa is a metropolis home to more than one billion people, and that doesn’t seem to be stopping as birth rates continue to rise in sub-Saharan regions despite a worsening climate. The ever-growing population demands ever-growing food supplies, but farming in the Nile has been threatened by new dam construction, putting limits on total farming quotas (Bounoua). The growing Sahara Desert continues to claim more and more territory, pushing into countries such as Morocco, decreasing precipitation and consuming arable land, threatening millions of Africans directly south of the desert (Washington). Many countries including Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa, and Niger are threatened by rising tides as large metropolitan centers are predicted to go underwater within a few decades if things do not begin to change (Dekkak). This places pressure on currently underdeveloped infrastructure, much of which is by the coasts. Many of these countries are already in heaven debt to countries such as China and the United States that have waged an economic war on the continent for the last few years, limiting local government action (Sheppard). Terrorist organizations take advantage of the turmoil caused by lost farming jobs and government insecurity to recruit new members. Sustaining Africa with a healthy relationship with the environment could go a long way in improving general stability, but terrorist threats require a lot of government resources.

Currently, The European Union, as well as the United States, have pumped billions of dollars into developing climate models with extremely high resolution that track current weather and climate conditions in Africa which can be used when building new infrastructure projects. Morocco has led multiple international conferences detailing how small changes to energy efficiency can go a long way into lowering coal and oil dependence (Platonova-Oquab). South Africa has committed to starting a program designed to broaden the reach of solar and wind power on the continent (Platonova-Oquab). Morocco has developed low-cost solar programs that see solar panels placed in local residences and decoupling persons from the main power grid (Dekkak). Local communities in Northern Africa with the help of European investment have implemented new technology alternatives that can help people lower their dependence on oil and gas as well as preserving natural parts of the environment (Platonova-Oquab). 

While climate change is looming, South Africa and Morocco lead the world in the battle to lower human impact on the environment. They have proven that despite domestic challenges and small budgets that they can meet projections and better their relationship with the environment (Debbak). As cities around the world risk being swallowed by the rising ties, we can look to Morocco as a leader in the fight against climate change, and urge our governments to take action.

Annotated Bibliography: 

"Africa: Climate Change." Gale Global Issues Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CP3208520147/GIC?u=los42754&sid=GIC&xid=13f423f6. Accessed 18 Apr. 2020. Climate change is a real threat to the African continent, as poor infrastructure, government corruption, and wide-spread poverty prevents real action. Many parts of sub-Saharan Africa have already warmed almost an entire Celcius degree, illustrating the gravity of the problem. This comes from a credible non-profit database that works to provide education and resources to students across the globe. I used this source mainly to provide background information on the subject, which I found extremely useful in introducing myself to the subject. It also pointed out many existing African initiatives, which may spur further investigation.

Bounoua, Lahouari. “Climate Change Is Hitting African Farmers the Hardest of All.” The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2020, theconversation.com/climate-change-is-hitting-african-farmers-the-hardest-of-all-40845. Agriculture remains a major part of the African economy, but climate disaster is poised to ruin that already fragile economic sector. Countries such as Morocco have the economic resources available to start on large infrastructure projects designed to reduce net-carbon emissions, but these projects are limited to a country’s ability to pay. The Conversation is a non-profit education news media website rated highly in factual reporting and unbiased analysis. It is stated that the author “does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.” I think that this was extremely useful in narrowing my topic down to a few countries, mainly Morocco.

Dekkak, Mohamed. “Morocco's Good Policies for Environmental Sustainable Development.” - Praying That I Could Be Braver than I Believe, Stronger than I Seem and Smarter than I Think., 12 Sept. 2018, dekkak.com/moroccos-good-policies-for-environmental-sustainability/. With significant investments from Europe, America, and China, Morocco is leading the developing world in the race to combat climate change. Not only did it rank among the top ten climate combatants, but helped organize and lead international conferences designed to spark climate advocacy in other African nations. The construction of new solar and wind power plants are noticeable, taking full advantage of the hot and windy biomes of southern Morocco. I do not think that this is completely unbiased, for the author openly shares his affiliations with a host of different business groups, so it is fully possible that the article was written from the perspective of a European pushing the agenda of European goodwill in Africa. General facts align fairly well with reality. This was extremely useful because it gave me a deeper dive into Moroccan environmental advocacy and what international players have done to affect that.

Platonova-Oquab, Alexandrina, et al. “Cross-Sectoral Approaches to Achieving Morocco's Climate Commitments.” World Bank, The World Bank, 29 Aug. 2019, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/08/29/cross-sectoral-approaches-to-achieving-moroccos-climate-commitments. The Article details the UN’s effort to collaborate with the Moroccan government to increase and facilitate their climate change effort. They used economic and environmental models to coordinate a response and work with local communities to reduce carbon waste. This piece was written by three very accomplished analysts at the World Bank, which is probably only of the most unbiased organizations in the world. This really honed in my article and research to Morocco, I was really impressed by both the credentials of the writers and the information and background insight that they provided.

Shepard, Dan. “Global Warming: Severe Consequences for Africa.” Global Warming: Severe Consequences for Africa | Inter Press Service, Inter Press Service, 2019, www.ipsnews.net/2019/01/global-warming-severe-consequences-africa/. Africa is at risk of large Climate Change effects. The area called the Sahen is grossly underdeveloped and has a high population growth rate. Resources are declining as a whole and rising temperatures risk increasing crop failure, on a continent already facing limited resources. The United Nations put Africa at high risk of environmental disaster. This was published in some sort of partnership with the United Nations, which is the largest multinational organization in the world. I think that it would be an unbiased source. The facts and information provided align with previous research and claims are reasonable. Probably very little bias. I honestly did not find this very helpful, most of the information I already knew, but the highlighting of the Sahen as a high-risk area prompted more interest and research.

Washington, Richard. “How Africa Will Be Affected by Climate Change.” BBC News, BBC, 15 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50726701. While East Africa is at risk of massive climate effects, new technologies are predicted to help the situation. Scientific breakthroughs that monitor climate at a distance of 2.3 miles will allow us to address specific climate problems that may lead to many trees dying. Richard Washington is a professor of climate science at the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford University so he is probably taking this from a purely scientific perspective. Basic claims line up with other sources. I found a more scientific approach to the situation really helpful. It allowed me to take the perspective of someone wanting to solve the problem rather than just observe.

Homophobia Crisis knocking on Uganda’s Doorstep

Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, known for its vast variety of agricultural products, seems to be held back by its regressing society. While it is ranked 8th in most rapidly developing countries among the 47 Sub-Saharan African countries, it severely lacks social reform in comparison to Western progressive policies (Freedom). With the plausible reintroduction of the Anti-Homosexual Act, first implemented in 2015, Uganda’s LGBTQ+ community has every right to worry for their lives (Ruduša). The initiation of this act in 2015 was only the beginning of backlash that the LGBTQ+ community would face from society, beyond the nullification of the act in 2016 (Clark). This act entailed the death penalty for any person who was found guilty of participating in same-sex consensual acts or any who openly advocated for the homosexual community and their rights (Clark). With Uganda’s large population of over 45.5 million people, the implication of this act affects millions.

Not to mention that the establishment of this act was heavily inspired by the beliefs of two conservative US evangelists (Akumu). Due to the US’s progressive policies which protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people, two white American evangelists decided to venture towards Uganda to spread homophobic hate speech in churches, knowing they would be prevented from doing so in America. While presenting themselves as experts on the matter of homosexuality they made false reports, which include the comparison of homosexuality to pedophelia, only furthering the negative sitgma that surrounds the LGBTQ+ community (Gettleman). Accompanied by Uganda’s already religion centered policies, the evangelists inspired--or more accurately--forced their conservative influence on the matter of same-sex relations. Furthermore, the white superiority complex they so proudly used to their advantage made it particularly difficult to minimize their influence. While these Americans acknowledge their influence in the advocacy for the Anti-Homosexual Act, when met with criticism they claim to be oblivious to the lengths that legislation would go regarding the death penalty. These Americans are said to have “started a fire they cannot quench” as the LGBTQ+ community received more backlash than ever. Hate crimes ranged from death threats drawn onto people's homes to “correctional rape” (Gettleman). Whatever it may be people faced constant harassment upon the initial introduction of the act, far beyond the hands of Ugandan government. If that wasn’t bad enough, now talk of re-visiting the act has the Ugandan LGBTQ+ community in a frenzy.



Following a meeting with Parliament, officials discussed the possibility of introducing a new law “similar” to the Anti-Homosexual Act, which some could argue is essentially a copy-and-paste of the act that was formerly nullified. With officials frowning upon any form of support or “promotion” of the LGBTQ+ community, a serious lack in attempts towards the reparation of this crisis are evident. Because this act promotes violence based on homophobia, as seen in the inceptive establishment of the act, that violence is then reflected in the people’s treatment of those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community in any way. Hate crime rates and general treatment of homosexuals is drastically more inhumane as they are viewed as malevolent and considered sinners in a deeply Christian-rooted country (Ruduša). Previous to the introduction of the Anti-Homosexual Act in 2015 gay men and lesbians stated they could publicly advocate for their rights and hold conferences but with the introduction of the act they are crawling back undercover, due to fear of the act encouraging lynching as mobs are already violent as it is. An unfortunate prime instance of this violence was seen just as recently as October of 2019, in synchronicity with the announcement of the plausible renewement of the Anti-Homosexual Act. Brian Wasswa, non-binary LGBTQ+ community advocator, was killed in his own home (Kampala). Upon even a threat of the revival of the Anti-Homosexual Bill, Uganda experienced a rise in homophobic rhetoric displayed in the following few weeks. The Anti-Homosexuality Act poses not only a governmental threat but more importantly an infringement on the human rights of those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. The lack of regard towards the death of a seemingly innocent man or woman, let alone the conversations being had in support of the re-introduction of the Anti-Homosexual Act emphasizes the significant lack of effort to aid in repairing the losses this act has brought to Uganda’s doorstep. Now it is up to Uganda whether they will continue to make a downward spiral in terms of social reform or develop more progressive policies in light of their western allies.

Work Cited

Akumu, Patience. “The Anti-Gay Gospel.” New International, June 2015, go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Magazines&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA415562404&docType=Article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZGIC&prodId=GIC&contentSet=GALE%7CA415562404&searchId=R1&userGroupName=los42754&inPS=true.

Clark, Msia. “Anti-Homosexuality Bill Could Mean a Death Sentence for LGBT People in Uganda.” Amnesty International USA, 12 Jan. 2010, www.amnestyusa.org/anti-homosexuality-bill-could-mean-a-death-sentence-for-lgbt-people-in-uganda/.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. “Americans' Role Seen in Uganda Anti-Gay Push.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Jan. 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html.

Kampala. “Uganda: Brutal Killing of Gay Activist.” Human Rights Watch, 16 Oct. 2019, www.hrw.org/news/2019/10/15/uganda-brutal-killing-gay-activist.

Ruduša, Daina. “Uganda Threatens To Re-Introduce ‘Anti-Homosexuality Act.’” Global LGBT Human Rights, 14 Oct. 2019, outrightinternational.org/content/uganda-plans-re-introduce-anti-homosexuality-act.

Climate Change Crisis

Can you imagine living in a state of fear, not knowing the quality of life tomorrow holds? In Africa, these people face the day to day struggles of continuously being malnourished, having inadequate healthcare and living in a place where the entire economy is becoming corrupt due to rapid climate change. Medical officials have called climate change the “biggest global health threat of the 21st century,” and Africa is already seeing the impacts; effects of newly rising temperatures and the changing of rainfall patterns being more evident (Peyton). No region in the world has been affected as much as the Sahel, which is experiencing rapid population growth, estimated at 2.8% per year, in an environment of shrinking natural resources, including land and water resources (Un.org). No continent will endure such severe impacts of climate change as Africa does while they have become the most vulnerable and facing the change and consistency of weather patterns. Due to its geographical position, the continent is especially vulnerable since Africa has considerably limited adaptive capabilities and have exacerbated by harsh widespread poverty due to the lack of wealth in these areas. In particular, climate change is a threat to their continuing growth in the economics and livelihood of populations that are vulnerable (unenvironment.org). Also, climate change creates a chain reaction of major issues for the population in Africa as there are newly introduced threats to their economy and medicine which both result in widespread impaired health. Longer periods without any rain and more intense precipitation when rainfall does happen have been observed as the seasonal timing if rainfall has shifted, causing a change in cropping seasons and overall shortening the growing season (Institution, Hoover). This lack of crop growth creates malnourishment nationwide as there is not enough food to support their population. Also, approximately 1.6 million African people have died from malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV related illnesses in the year 2015. These diseases can be prevented or treated when having timely access to affordable and appropriate medicines or other health services (un.org). In this case, less than 2% of the drugs consumed in Africa are produced within the continent, meaning most sick patients don’t have the access to the locally produced drugs and/or might not be able to afford the imported ones (un.org). Along with healthcare being out of reach, temperature changes and unprecedented weather also contributes to the health of people in Africa. Due to the rapid climate change, this has become a much larger issue as increased temperatures create a better environment for insects like mosquitoes to produce and carry diseases such as malaria, that if not treated are deadly. The Washington Post states, “as part of the Paris Agreement, countries made national commitments to take steps to reduce emissions and build resilience. The treaty also called for increased financial support from developed countries to assist the climate action efforts of developing countries.” (post) This is a hugely pressing issue that continues to grow today as scientists strive to reach more breakthroughs and ways to help the people in Africa. Over recent years this has created the most apparent detrimental effects in Africa yet is raising awareness globally, and once efforts from more developed countries are offered it will result in a better future for people all around the world.

Work Cited;

Institution, Hoover. “Climate Change and Africa's Future.” "Hoover Institution", Hoover Institution, 14 Jan. 2019, www.hoover.org/research/climate-change-and-africas-future.

Peyton, Nellie. “As Threats Rise, African Scientists Delve into Climate Change Health Impacts.” "Reuters", Reuters, 29 Jan. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-climate-change-health/as-threats-rise-african-scientists-delve-into-climate-change-health-impacts-idUSKBN1ZS2FH.

Post, Washington. “Analysis | African Nations Are among Those Most Vulnerable to Climate Change. A New Survey Suggests They Are Also the Least Prepared.” "Washington Post", Washington Post, 23 Sept. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/23/african-nations-are-among-those-most-vulnerable-climate-change-new-survey-suggests-they-are-also-least-prepared/.

Un. “Dying from Lack of Medicines.” "United Nations", United Nations, 13 Dec. 2016, www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2016-march-2017/dying-lack-medicines. .

Un Environment Programme, Unep -. “Responding to Climate Change.” "UNEP - UN Environment Programme", UNEP - UN Environment Programme, 26 Mar. 2020, www.unenvironment.org/regions/africa/regional-initiatives/responding-climate-change.

Turmoil in Nigerian Oil. Africa Issue Research Project

Turmoil in Nigerian Oil 

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ‘failed to pay’ about $16 billion in revenue owed to the state’s treasury, according to an audit.” (Turkson) The missing money that was supposed to go to the states treasury would have greatly helped the Nigerian Citizens.  The money could’ve helped the 112 million Nigerian Citizens live below the poverty line. (Agbonile) The root of this issue is in the oil companies, and it is supported by the government as well. Due to the corruption in the NNPC and the Nigerian Government, much of the money that comes through taxes on Nigerian Oil doesn’t reach the people. But, how does corruption in the Oil Industry and Government in Nigeria affect the lives of the citizens? 

The NNPC is often blamed to be the root issue of much of the poverty inside of the country. Nigeria relies on oil as it’s main source of income, this is because 95% of its exports are oil. (Cocks) The NNPC is also ranked near the bottom of the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. (Cocks) The Nigerian government is also partially to blame, the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela said at a press conference, much of the money in the country’s oil savings were distributed to the 36 Nigerian governors, instead of being saved for later. (Cocks) Much of the infrastructure in Nigeria is so poor that the oil companies cannot even track how much oil they are producing accurately, which makes it easy to lie, and avoid certain amounts of taxes by subtracting a few barrels of oil than they are actually producing. Nshira Turkson, A writer for The Atlantic writes, “Poor infrastructure has resulted in people siphoning crude oil from decades-old, rusted pipes into drums. These drums are then transported on boats to illicit refineries, from where oil is sold on the black market. Even the U.S. Government recognizes the challenges that Nigeria faces in its country, detailing how they struggle with persistent structural weakness in their public buildings and infrastructure. (U.S. Department of State) Because of the corruption in the NNPC and the Nigerian Government, much of the ‘missing’ money which is owed to the state treasury never quite reached it, and if the extra money had made it to the state treasury, there could be better infrastructure, and better oil refineries. 

 The corruption in the NNPC also takes its toll on the citizens of Nigeria. All the ‘missing money’ could’ve been used to help the impoverished residents of Nigeria. More than 60% of the Nigerian population lives in poverty. (U.S. Department of State) In the country, three in five homes have access to fresh water, 48% of all homes have access to electricity, and seven in ten Nigerian Citizens live off of less than USD $1.25 per day. (InterNations) It is hard for the Nigerian Citizens to see any benefits of their booming oil economy while it is being controlled by an acknowledged corrupt organization. As of 2016, there were 112 million Nigerian Citizens living in poverty, which is up from 1990, when there were 51 million impoverished citizens. (Agbonile) It is evident that the people aren’t seeing the benefits of their oil industry. The state doesn’t have the proper funding to put up buildings such as medical schools, libraries, or even collages to help educate their citizens to perform specialty jobs, such as being a doctor. In Nigeria, there is a shortage of healthcare professionals, per 1,000 Nigerian Citizens, there are less than 2 healthcare professionals. (Agbonile) Although, they still have to tackle the corruption in the NNPC, and there are still 112 million Nigerian Citizens living in poverty. 

Missing tax money from the NNPC is one of the biggest contributors to Nigerian poverty, and it is rarely spoken of. With no money to fund schools, colleges, and proper housing, the people are stuck in an endless loop of poverty. The Nigerian Government has much work to do if it would like to tackle subjects such as poverty and corruption. Presidential Candidate, Goodluck Jonathan will, ‘solve the problem of corruption in this country.’ By using technology and strengthening institutions, he told a crowd in Ibadan in January. (Cocks)

Works Cited.

Agbonile, Adesuwa. “An Expanding Country: Four of the Main Causes of Poverty in Nigeria.” The Borgen Project, Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/causes-of-poverty-in-nigeria/ Gives four of the main reasons why poverty is so pervasive in Nigeria. Bad healthcare, Government Corruption, Lack of Infrastructure, and lack of education are the main reasons. The rate of doctors to patients is 1.95/1000. Government corruption stops money from getting to the public fund. Which is the reasoning behind much of the lack of infrastructure. This source is credible, they remain rather neutral while just saying the facts of the situation. 

Cocks, Tim, and Joe Brock. “Special Report: Anatomy of Nigeria's $20 Billion ‘Leak.’” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 6 Feb. 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-election-banker-specialreport/special-report-anatomy-of-nigerias-20-billion-leak-idUSKBN0LA0X820150206. The head central banker of the NNPC was fired for releasing that the company had not paid $20 billion dollars to the government. This sparked investigations but there was no solid evidence that this had occurred. Although, soon it came out that the company had actually not paid the money, but it was estimated to be somewhere around $16 billion dollars. On a separate occasion, the company failed to pay $1.64 billion dollars. The source is credible, and is often listed next to other sources such as BBC, and the New York Times. The bias seems to support Lamido Sanusi and his allegations. 

“Living in Nigeria.” Living in Nigeria | InterNations GO!, InterNationsGO, 13 Dec. 2017, www.internations.org/go/moving-to-nigeria/living. This source gives a lot of information on the lifestyle in Nigeria. It details how half of all houses have electricity and poor internet connection. It also details how 70% of all people live below the poverty line. These people live off of $1.25 U.S. Dollars per day. Two in five households live without clean water. This source is credible, the amount that they live off of should be checked. It is not biased because it’s purpose is to help people move to new countries. 

Turkson, Nshira. “The Nigerian Oil Company's Missing Billions.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 18 Mar. 2016, www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/03/nigeria-oil-corruption-buhari/473850/.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation failed to pay $16 billion dollars to the Nigerian State Treasury, although, the corporation estimates this number to actually be as low as $1.64 billion. The corporation says the missing money is due to thieves and maintenance fees.  Thieves target the poor infrastructure and steal oil straight out of the pipes, then, they sell it on the black market. Although, the money loss is most commonly attributed to corruption in the government and the Nigerian oil industry. In 2014, the central bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, reported $20 billion dollars of ‘leaked’ oil. He was promptly fired from the company and replaced for speaking out against the corporation. This article is likely biased toward the side of Lamido Sanusi, and they think that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has purposely not paid this debt to the state treasury. This source is credible because many other sources align with it, in it’s facts, and it’s figures. 

“U.S. Relations With Nigeria - United States Department of State.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, 4 Dec. 2018, www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-nigeria/. The source summarizes all of the interactions that Nigeria and the US have had. It is noted that Nigeria struggles with corruption, that it relies on oil exports as its main form of income. The US is also the largest foriegn investor in Nigeria. Most of this invested money is centered in the petroleum and mining industries. Found on the LAHS database. This is useful to me because it shows me how other countries view Nigeria and their oil and government corruption. Trump invited the president of Nigeria to the White House and they discussed how to fight government corruption and promote healthy trade.  I will use this to support many of my other sources.