Aid agencies destroying the local economy

[Raganimo]

https://youtu.be/4o_PJMnfpGM

[Raganimo]

This is not a recent phenomenon and goes back to the mid 70's when the IMF imposed SAP's (structural adjustment programs) on the Somali government which crippled local production. We were self-reliant up until that point and famines were a rarity.

Towards the Destruction of Food Agriculture

The structural adjustment program reinforced Somalia's dependency on imported grain. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, food aid increased fifteen-fold, at the rate of 31 percent per annum.' Combined with increased commercial imports, this influx of cheap surplus wheat and rice sold in the domestic market led to the displacement of local producers, as well as to a major shift in food consumption patterns to the detriment of traditional crops (maize and sorghum). The devaluation of the Somali shilling, imposed by the IMF in June 1981, was followed by periodic devaluations, leading to hikes in the prices of fuel, fertilizer and farm inputs. The impact on agricultural producers was immediate particularly in rain-fed agriculture, as well as in the areas of irrigated farming. Urban purchasing power declined dramatically, government extension programs were curtailed, infrastructure collapsed, the deregulation of the grain market and the influx of "food aid" led to the impoverishment of farming communities.'

Also, during this period, much of the best agricultural land was appropriated by bureaucrats, army officers and merchants with connections to the government.' Rather than promoting food production for the domestic market, the donors were encouraging the development of so-called "high value-added" fruits, vegetables, oilseeds and cotton for export on the best irrigated farmland

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/North ... GPNWO.html

[GalliumerianSlayer]

We should follow the South Koreans, they were worse off than DRC back in the 60's/ Look at where they are now. They're giving aid to several nations.

Are Somalis as smart as the koreans? that's where the problem lies.

[mahoka]

Are Somalis as smart as the koreans? that's where the problem lies.

No

[Raganimo]

This has nothing to do with "smartness" or IQ-levels. You can't compare South Korea to Somalia for a number of reasons.

[Gaashaanle1000]

Raganimo,

You know it would be great if there were a group that could go back and create a community back home in Somalia. First find a plot of land, learn what it takes to build a community including modern houses, along with farm land for self sustainment.

I would love to do something like that, but all it needs is a group of dedicated people. For each individual can bring his or her own expertise, rather than depending on foreigners and intervention from others that cannot be trusted.