In a recent article about Zimbabwe in the NY Times, an economist estimated that inflation had reached 18 quintillion percent, literally 8 with 18 zeroes behind it. The country has a 1 trillion dollar bill. Every report that I’ve read about Zimbabwe has been unbelievable times 10. No country in the history of the world has had this sort of inflation. There is a cholera outbreak that could affect half the 12 million population in the country, there is no fresh water, there is high unemployment, there is tremendous unrest and a government that is corrupt and incapable of governing. The world economy is not helping.
These days when we are all in crisis, our natural inclination is to hunker down and block out what is going on around us. We cannot ignore our common humanity and if we are able to help, we must.
Here’s a gut-wrenching story about two girls living in Zimbabwe (NYTimes):
Aisha Makombo, 15, has been raising her 11-year-old sister, Khadija, since their mother died of AIDS last year. An expressive girl with a soft, round face, Aisha, who is H.I.V. negative, has been struggling to get drug treatment for Khadija, who is now sick with AIDS.
She took her little sister, so stunted she appears half her actual age, to Parirenyatwa Hospital, the nation’s largest referral hospital, last year, but crucial test results needed to qualify Khadija for life-saving medications were inexplicably misplaced.
On a later visit, Aisha was told the machine that performed the tests was broken. Now the hospital is virtually closed. Aisha said she was referred to private doctors who demanded payment in South African rand or American dollars, but the girls had no money.
Aisha’s eyes filled with tears as she explained that she had been able to obtain only cotrimoxazole, an antibiotic used to treat opportunistic infections, for her little sister.
Aisha used to escape the sadness of her life by going to school, but two months ago the teachers at her high school stopped showing up.
“She didn’t bid us farewell, she just left,” Aisha said of her math teacher, the one she misses most of all. “At first, we thought she would come back, but then we gave up hope.”
Aisha now scrambles to barter her labor for food, while her little sister, too weak to work, attends a small school run by a nonprofit group. Last week, Aisha started a four-day job, bent over in a field, readying it for planting. In exchange, she was to get two pounds of flour and a bottle of cooking oil, as well as a shirt and blouse for Khadija.
The girls pray together each night before going to sleep in the tiny, grubby, windowless room they share. The small house belongs to their grandfather, but he admitted it was Aisha who provided the food for him and her 45-year-old uncle who sometimes steals the cornmeal she earns, as well as the girls’ clothes to sell secondhand.
Yet the girls say they cling to their dreams. Aisha’s is to be a doctor, Khadija’s a bank teller, each hungering for what the sisters do not have — health and money for medicine and food.
Despite all the life-threatening setbacks, these girls still dream and still carry onto hope. If we are capable and we take the step to help folks dream and reach their dreams, how much closer are we to dreaming bigger and reaching our dreams? I’d argue that we’re going to me even more successful. Some organizations that are doing good work in Zimbabwe include Doctors without Borders, Unicef, and Save the Children - consider participating. As an entrepreneur, we can find ways to tackle these problems. I’m going to leave this post with one email from an organization that I’ve donated to:
The cholera epidemic is getting out of hand, and the need for rubber gloves is acute. The chemists here are asking for the equivalent of between US100 and US500 for just one box. I’m scrambling asking everyone possible to bring some. The death rate is higher than normal even with cholera, due to extreme hunger and HIV/AIDS.
We have a little girl, Munya whose father brought her to us in despair as his wife had died, and the baby is quite sick. She is almost 2 but seriously malnourished, is HIV positive and also has TB. She keeps crying for “nyama” (meat) and I kept wondering why as I knew her father was much to poor to buy for her. We discovered that her “nyama” is termites! Her father had poked in termite holes until they came running out to see what was the matter, and he scooped them up in a pan and fried them for her every day!
What do you think?
That is unheard of and it is quite easy for us to just turn the other way when we see or hear about this.
I will need to look more into this situation so I can learn more about. How it happened and how to make sure I can survive until such conditions, once it happens here in North America.
Appreciate the comment, Tom. We need to be aware of situations like this and participate in stopping this nonsense.
@Andy,
All I can say is, we here in the western world have no one to blame but ourselves for the mess in Zim. We celebrated Mugabe, who is nothing more than a criminal and a terrorist. There were people who warned us about this and we did nothing. Not a single western nation stood up a called this murderous thug what he is… People who lived in Zim warned us, the evidence was everywhere in 1980 when he was first elected that he was butchering people in the most horrific fashion to suppress voting… people told us… warned us… and we celebrated. He and his henchmen have done things so horrible I will not describe them on this blog. What we really need to ask ourselves, is what is it about our beliefs that allowed us to support such evil?
Steve - thanks for the comment. It is very sad to realize that we have had a hand in the policies that shaped zim. Goes again to the point, what can we do as individuals to help in this situation rather than standing on the sidelines…
Every day, it gets harder to believe the tragedy that is Africa.
It’s bad enough that organizations such as the U.N. and the World Bank are too corrupt and inept to help Africans. And many governments don’t see Africa as strategic or important.
But, what really depresses me, is how vicious Africans are to each other. I’m not sure what can be done to overcome this. Until we can reduce the bloodshed, children will be the victims.
Thanks Bret for the comment, it is depressing, but I hold out hope that there are still opportunities for entrepreneurs and individuals to tackle these injustices. It is a total travesty that these things are happening on our collective watch.
There are large parts of Africa that are a mess and need our help. It’s easy to sit back and blame politicians/corrupt world leaders and bemoan how horrible people can be to each other, but complaining alone doesn’t accomplish much of anything.
The Kanu Heart Foundation is a charity established in 2000 by nigerian footballer Nwankwo Kanu. They help african children and young adults living with heart problems. It’s a great charity that has saved many childrens lives. and I would encourage anyone reading this to look them up and donate.
Kevin - great comment. Thanks for highlighting a successful organization that we can support.
This is a very tragic story. I hope some help in form of some good samaritan reaches them.
Harnish - You can be the good samaritan
i was supporting a child in africa or so i thought.when i went to visit her i found she did not exist ,i was supporting a scam ..make sure your money is reaching the child
/person intended
@ Bret Frohlich - “But, what really depresses me, is how vicious Africans are to each other. ” You don’t have to look very far to find similar problems on any continent. The scale may be different, but the dynamic is a Human condition, not an African one.
Hey Andy, is it possible if you put together a post to give some suggestions on how people can prepare themselves for such events?
I think that would be a great post
I agree with Tom, the story is heart wrenching but I’m unsure how I personally would be able to effect change. I am aware of but don’t fully understand the situation or how I’d be able to help, outside of things like this where you increase awareness of what’s happening.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for posting this. For me, making social change comes first in my life (including making it my course of study for my degrees). Business stuff, while challenging and enjoyable, are second. I don’t have children, but when I do have them I want them to come into a world that is, at the very least, no worse than when I came into it. I also want to know that I’ve done everything I could to make things better.
Also, a big part of making social change is how and with whom I do business. I always try to be careful that no one is exploited or harmed through my business as well as by the suppliers I use. Sometimes I feel like in the larger scheme of things this wont change much, but placing this kind of thoughtfulness in my everyday practice does make a difference.
And the moral of this story is…
A huge fire was raging on the slopes of a beautiful woods. Animals were running wild trying to get out of its path. Except for one tiny hummingbird who was flying back and forth from the river to the fire bringing water in it’s little beak to dump on the flames. When asked, “Why are you doing this - bringing small drops of water to such a big flame?”, the hummingbird responded, “It’s what I can do”.
Hello Andy and everyone,
It’s great to see people who care about these issues. I have some links to more opportunities where you all can get involved if you’d like:
kiva.org
eden-foundation.org
kickstart.org
bluegoosecommunity.com
heifer.org
akvo.org
educationgeneration.org
wokai.org
Also, here’s a video about a powder P&G has developed which makes dirty and disease ridden water drinkable in minutes:
youtube.com/watch?v=ItxoRxPisZs
And here is a link if you would like to donate towards the cause:
http://www.pghsi.com/pghsi/safewater
Wish I had more links, but thats all I have bookmarked.
nice post. thanks for bringing this to my attention. As one of the co-founders of Avidian Technologies with my co-founder Tim Nguyen, starting in 2009, we have formally committed to giving 3% of our profits this year to a cause that will be chosen by our employees. we’ve always given in the past when the need arises but I believe there is a stronger conviction and commitment to a cause when we make a declaration for our giving and get the whole company to vote for the cause we want to support. i encourage other companies to do the same especially in this tough economic times.
The people of Zimbabwe have been suffering in silence for the past decade. The whole world looks on as innocent people are being killed by man made disasters. The Mugabe government has dismally failed to protect and provide basic amenities to its citizenry for the past 10 years since they embarked on the disastrous land grab. While this is happening the powers that be (USA, UK) and other nations are watching in silence without taking concrete action against the tyrant regime.
Thank God, God himself has intervened and there seem to be progress in the country with the Unity government. The economy has been officially dollarised. It is high time now the world especially the US and UK to take an active part in restoring sanity and good governance to this impoverished state. It is not good enough for the super powers to impose sanctions without thinking about the repercussions of same to the defenseless citizens.
Big up to companies like Avidian Technologies, such noble ideas will go a long way in helping the needy
It is true that so much of what has happened in Zimbabwe is unbelievable for someone sitting in a First World Country accoustomed to their daily comfort. Hardship in the first world does not begin to compair to the daily struggle for these people, but there is hope in that Zimbabweans themselves have begun to realise that the answers to change in Zimbabwe is going to come from within. As a Zimbabwean I left home in 1999 bitter and twisted at how the government could distroy our nation by its own greed, but 10 years later my heart cries out when I look back home to see what the people I left behind live through, and it is with a humble heart and an eager soul that I became involved with Rebuild Zimbabwe (www.rebuildzimbabwe.org) an organisation of Zimbabweans that seek to create sustainable developement within communities in Zimbabwe. If you have a heart for the situation in Zimbabwe and feel your able to help, I would ask that you watch our progress and if you feel you are able get involved. Every person counts, every one of us help to make chances for ordinary Zimbabweans to change their lives and begin to live in some form of normality. Please help. Please spread the word.
Thanks and god bless.
Rob