JULKAISIJA • UTGIVARE • PUBLISHER
Suomen Somalia-verkosto ry
Finnish Somalia Network
www.somaliaverkosto.fi
YHTEYSTIEDOT • KONTAKT • CONTACT
1/2016
PÄÄTOIMITTAJA
CHEFREDAKTÖR
EDITOR
Marja Tiilikainen
TOIMITUSSIHTEERI
REDAKTIONSSEKRETERARE
SUB-EDITOR
Maippi Tapanainen
TOIMITUSKUNTA
REDAKTION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Hassan Abdi Ali
Mohamed Ahmed Elfadl
Peik Johansson
Liisa Laakso
Minna Mayer
Abdirizak Hassan Mohamed
Matti Ripatti
Teppo Tiilikainen

ISSN-L 1799-6163
ISSN 1799-6163

AFRIKAN SARVI
on Somalian, Djiboutin, Eritrean, Etiopian, Sudanin ja Etelä-Sudanin kehityskysymyksiin keskittyvä verkkolehti. Lehteä julkaisee Suomen Somalia-verkosto ry. Afrikan Sarvessa julkaistaan sekä tutkimukseen että käytännön työhön perustuvia artikkeleita ja puheenvuoroja. Afrikan Sarvi on kolmikielinen (suomi, ruotsi, englanti) ja se ilmestyy kaksi kertaa vuodessa.
AFRIKAS HORN
är en nättidskrift som fokuserar på utvecklingsfrågor i Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Etiopien, Sudan och Södra Sudan. Tidningen utges av Suomen Somalia-verkosto (Finlands Somalia-nätverk). Artiklarna och det övriga innehållet i Afrikas Horn baserar sig på både forskning och praktiskt arbete. Afrikas Horn är trespråkig (finska, svenska, engelska) och utkommer två gånger per år.
HORN OF AFRICA JOURNAL
is an electronic journal which focuses on developmental questions in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. It is published by the Finnish Somalia Network. The articles and other materials are based both on research and practical work. Horn of Africa Journal is trilingual (Finnish, Swedish, English) and it is issued twice a year.

Ohjeita Afrikan Sarven kirjoittajille
Anvisningar för bidragsgivare
Instructions for contributors

TUSMADA WARGEYSKA OO SOOMAALI AH

تعريف عن الصحيفة باللغة العربية

PRÉSENTATION EN FRANÇAIS

Adnan Abdi
1/2016

Adnan Abdi

Africa must climb – not beg – out of poverty

During the closing speech at Swift International Banking Operations Seminar (SIBOS), held in Boston, the world’s wealthiest man, Bill Gates, praised a company from a self-declared independent state in Africa, Telesom, for their innovation calling them “absolutely the furthest along” in terms of mobile money transfer (MMT).

Great innovation derives from a great need. None is a better example than the current MMT systems in Africa. A continent commonly regarded as backward and poor, is setting the trend in mobile banking. This rise of MMT in Africa, according to experts, is due to the lack of banking infrastructure (branches, cash machines etc.). Which begs the question, what is it that is actually holding Africa back?

One thing. Foreign Aid. For example, the foreign aid that is flooded into Africa in the form of cheap goods. Award-winning documentary, Poverty Inc., highlights the dangers that the reliance on foreign aid has on a country’s economy.

Africa must be given breathing room to come out of poverty naturally and not be flooded with cheap goods which in turn ruin the livelihoods of local entrepreneurs. In the case of Somalia, it is the remittance from the diaspora in the West. Remittances account for roughly 25% – 45% of Somalia’s GDP. This is not only ludicrous but unsustainable in the long-term.

In a sense Africa is a blank canvas as the only infrastructure that is deep rooted is corruption. And that will erode with the foundation of a common goal. There is a great opportunity to create infrastructure based on modern technology and renewable energy. We have a great opportunity to create a continent that is self-sustainable.

We need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and need to climb out of poverty through innovation and determination, not through remittance and bi-yearly foreign aid packages. Because no country is built on begging.

Adnan Abdi

Kirjoittaja osallistui Suomen Somalia -verkoston järjestämälle viestintäkurssille.

 
JULKAISIJA • UTGIVARE • PUBLISHER
Suomen Somalia-verkosto ry
Finnish Somalia Network
www.somaliaverkosto.fi
YHTEYSTIEDOT • KONTAKT • CONTACT