PHILAN- PHILANTHROPY
GOOD NEWS FROM THE HEART OF AFRICA
Disturbing reports hit the press recently with claims that vast sums of money generated by Band Aid were spent on arms. Rob Grainger goes native in an attempt to uncover the truth
I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING PRESS REPORTS in the British media claiming that millions of dollars raised by Band Aid were diverted to Ethiopian rebels who used the funds to buy weapons. It’s a shame that the tabloid media hasn’t learned many lessons from the past and has yet again jumped in, all guns blazing, without being armed with accurate facts. Sir Bob Geldof was right to lash out and immediately refute the claims. To quote Sir Bob’s comment in The Times “it would be a f***ing tragedy if people stopped giving to charity because of allegations made”. I couldn’t agree more. On the whole, Africa doesn’t always receive fair or favourable coverage from the press. It’s true that many African countries have suffered from years of political upheaval and corruption has been an issue. There’s nothing new there and western politicians haven’t done much to enhance their own reputation recently either.
Africa holds so much natural beauty, both in landscapes and wildlife, and it is vital that we do our utmost to ensure that these survive for future generations. Africa has a valuable legacy and so much good work is being done to maintain this. One of the best examples of charities working with communities comes from Uganda, in the heart of east Africa, where the Uganda Conservation Foundation has led the way in changing attitudes and preserving forests, species and communities. Uganda has a turbulent history of political upheaval
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but it is rebuilding fast. The stunning scenery, from the lakes to the mountains, holds a hugely diverse range of wildlife, UCF has been setting up a series of exciting and innovative projects since the nineties and the results have been remarkable. The origins of UCF can be traced back to a research project undertaken by Michael Keigwin in the 1990s, Elephants, Crops & People. The project drove home to Michael the urgent need to address issues of poaching, deforestation and the relationship between local communities and wildlife within the region. In the late ‘90s, no-one had any real grasp on elephant numbers before the project was carried out, but it was clear that local farmers found it impossible to live side-by-side with the local elephant population. Michael met with many of the farmers and walked with them through their crop fields to see the damage caused by elephants. It’s hard to imagine how a farmer struggling to feed his family would have felt when he saw crops devastated overnight by wandering elephants. It came as no surprise to discover that many farmers actively encouraged ivory and bushmeat poaching as a way to protect their own livelihoods. Some even poached elephants themselves. Guarding crops at night became part of their way of life and children were helping with these duties at the expense of their education. Many farmers died as a result of contracting malaria from mosquitos at night and the responsibility then fell to the children. High death
RIGHT: AFRICAÕS
WILDLIFE CONTINUALLY HANGS IN THE BALANCE.
THE -ELEVATOR.COM THE -ELEVATOR.COM
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