Tues May 24

“The hand that receives is always below the hand that gives”

This quote can be understood in reference to an analogy in Pete Ondeng’s book “Africa’s Moment” (2003), when it compares how when a child or young animal is dependent on its mother, it can’t fully develop and become mature. Dependence and exploitation is a cycle that’s hard to get out of and if Africa can’t get out of it, it will continue to be below the hand that it’s dependent on for aid. Continuing to receive aid allows for exploitation because the giving hand often disrespects the receiving hand since it is in power to give or withhold as they please. This inequality is desired by the Western world (the givers) because they use it for power and resources that directly benefit them, while not worrying about the future of Africa (the receivers). The receivers continue to be exploited and the givers acquire more and more power, causing the cycle to become even harder to get out of. As aid is given to Africa, a lot of it is taken by the government and not used in places it should be, therefore contributing to the increase in poverty of the country. “The child was diseased at birth, stricken with a hereditary ill that only the most vital of men are able to shake off. I mean poverty, the most deadly and prevalent of all diseases” (Eugene O’Neill). I like this quote because it looks at poverty like a disease and I believe that it relates to the first quote since poverty is something that has to be present in order for prosperity to also be present.