27 September 2010

FOREIGN AID TO THE NEED COUNTRIES:THE BENEFITS AND WEAKNESSES !

Foreign aid is not a new system done by other countries assisting another country in need of aid in the form of finance or other technical expertise. In 1945 after the devastating effects of world war two left most of the European states with no any means to develop on their own . The Marshal plan helped Britain to cope with life.Again in 1967 Britain got another foreign aid to survive. The horrible earthquake which devasted the island of Haiti left the natives with no option than to wait for foreign aid inorder to cope with life. The global financial recession which hit almost all countries in 2008 necessited other countries to beg from the world bank to get aid. All these aids are necessary to any country at one point or another.
According to Mandaza (1981)foreign aid is the help in the form of technical and financial support channelled to the need countries being devastated by disasters which may include poverty ,droughts wars ,floods ,earthquakes etc.This was supported by Anold(1985)says foreign aid is taken to mean resources both capital and technical assistance in the form of people with their skills.
Weale(1983)says that foreign aid is given by relatively wealthy country to a developing country as a mitigation programme or project with the influence of political ,economical and cultural interests.Mosley(1988)adds that developed countries give aid to developing countries for the benefit of their own countries rather than for the developing countries.
Anold (1988)therefore argues that foreign aid is a product of decolonisation and it is not a simple act of charity as is perceived by those purveying it or receiving it.Foreign aid is taken differently according to people's different professions and backgrounds which always clicked in their minds that it may comeback such a thing like colonisation .What do you think Zimbabwe's colonial liberators will respond when the British Government advances an aid when they still have bilateral conflicts concerning land reform programme?
Foreign and defence ministries have seen aid as a means of winning and holding the political and military support of the less developed contries. The trade and employment ministries view trade as a way of winning a foothold in the markets of the less developed third word countries and create jobs at their homes and deploy some of its citizens as expatriates. For example when China is giving an aid to Zambia ,the equippment needed to build infrastructure,the engieers and other technical men power must also be Chinese origin.And also finance ministries percieved aid as platform to promote growth in less developed countries for the benefit of both countries and the world economy. Take a look at the aid given by British to build international airport in Zimbabwe both countries are benefiting for the flow of business because of new structure which boast trade between the two countries.
However although these foreign aid is useful to any country at one point. Some countries failed to perpetuate the projects initiated because of the complexity of technicalities involved there and continuous need of finance for a project to sustain itself. For instance a short term aid established in some districts of Zimbabwe to assist the poor small scale farmers to practice minimum tillage using a hole.When the agencies like GOAL,Catholic Relief Agencies ,CARE are still supervising and monitoring their projects this people submitted to follow what they are told and stick to instruction given ,inorder for them continue getting inputs to grow next season .After the agencies left the area these people easily go back to their traditional method of farming.This is one of the major reason why in some quotas the foreign aid is found benefiting the donating country than the receiving. Infact the idea is not yet materialising in them(the local people) so they do not have the vision of what to do alone inorder to develop their community.

No comments:

Post a Comment