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Original poster

so here i am watching the news about niger

239 replies

Heathcliffscathy · 22/07/2005 22:23

and crying. and seeing ds in all of the starving childrens' faces. and knowing that it isn't nature to blame but every one of us. i know i'm always doing this, but i just feel so awful about the state of the world at the moment.

the famine in niger was predicted years ago. we obviously on a governmental level haven't given a toss.

we worry about being blown up by a terrorist. we tolerate a world where people are starving to death. we wonder why people are angry and hate-filled at us at the west.

i had really good news today. we exchanged on a house ending a long process of house hunting and i can't feel anything but over indulged and despairing. and so angry.

we spend billions on slaughtering civilians in iraq. and begrudge pennies to africa.

i don't even know why i'm posting this except that i don't know what to do with myself.

OP posts:
loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:13

no its not..... we do need to send food over. However there is only so much our country can do? what about germany,france,poland..... where are they?

Toothache · 02/08/2005 11:13

Eh No LLB22 - It's all about survival of the population..... you can break it down to basic biology if you like.

MrsDoolittle · 02/08/2005 11:13

QofQ - you're making sense

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:13

"
i think if they were given contraception a lot of them would use it so that they didn't have to face their babies dying."

I think you'd find they would still want babies. It's human nature to have babies, and continue your family line/tribal line. If these people waited until they could "afford" a baby - then 2/3 of the worlds population would never have children.

Toothache · 02/08/2005 11:14

LB22 - Definitely ALL countries need to help, not just UK.

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:14

"Queen of Quotes if you have more children because you know some will die don't you think that is just being very selfish."

Well personanly if I wanted to have children that grew into adulthood, and I knew that if I had 2 children they would both probably die before the age of 5. But if I had 4 children 2 might surivive to be adults - then I'd probably have the 4 children. I'd rather have 2 that survived into adulthood than none.

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:16

i am not saying they should wait to afford it at all! but say for example you were on the streets living out of a cardboard box? in your heart of hearts would you serioulsy want a baby like that? i am not telling them to stop having children... but when you said that some have more children because some of them die i think its disgusting... why not care for the children that you have.

Toothache · 02/08/2005 11:18

LB22 - They don't die from lack of care!!! Jeeeeeeeeso!

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:20

i am not saying they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am just saying that1 or 2 mouths are easier to feed then 4? anything to do with it?

bundle · 02/08/2005 11:20

This year's World Health Report is called Make Every Mother and Child Count. Nearly 11 million under 5's will die this year from causes that are largely preventable, including 4 million babies who won't live to be a month old. More than half a million women will die in pregnancy, childbirth or soon after. Until mothers have access to healthcare to ensure their health and that of their children, I do not believe that we live in a truly civilised world. sorry, rant over.

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:22

There were no admin costs when you

"but I set up a 10mile walk and bought a heart monitor and extra equipment for our local childrens hospice."

How did people sponsor you - did they write on thin air??? I don't think there's such a thing in this world as a completely admin free fundraising event (is there?)

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:22

we don't but if i could do something about it i would! i would love to help women and families out but there just isn't any way of doing so.

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:23

but louabelle - these people are probably never going to make it out of their 'cardboard box'

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:23

o sorry QofQ 10p for a sheet of paper that i got from work! that was our admin cost. happy now?

Toothache · 02/08/2005 11:24

But LB222 - They die of disease.... dirty water... etc etc. It's really only the situation at present with lack of rain and locusts that has resulted in the famine!

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:24

QofQ i know they are not... but serioulsy what can we do about it? it isn't up to us to decide if our country gives them money or not!

soapbox · 02/08/2005 11:25

LB222 - your posts are so ignorant of the way that a subsistence economy works and how these people live their lives that it is quite shocking.

These people live in a way where they rely on growing their own food on a small holding typically. They buy the grain seed on credit, usually repaying it with a share of their harvest. They plant the seed then wait for it to grow, watering it and weeding is extremely time intensive, hence the need for big families- boys in particular being prized as they are harder workers (perceived to be). The families then pay back the cost of the grain with the harvest and store the rest of it for them selves or possibly use some of it to barter for a cow, goat or other goods at market.

This year the harvest failed through drought or through locusts. The families therefore have no grain to repay their debts and no money to buy food at market and no grain to eat. Harvests don't fail every year - these people expected to be able to feed their families but things beyond their control got in the way!

There is no welfare state in Niger - if you and /or your husband lost everything you owned and had no means of earning an income, and there was no welfare state what would you do???? How would you feed your child????

These people are not feckless, they live hard lives but are as proud of putting food on the table as the next person. They are as devastated at the death of a child as you or I would be. Please don't insult them by assuming that your values and your experiences in life are the only valid ones! It makes you look a fool, quite frankly!

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:25

10km is quite a distance - did you not have any drinks while doing it? Did you get sponsorshop solely through going places on foot - or did you take the bus/drive to some places?

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:25

maybe our money could go to sending doctors over there and properly trained medical staff? or building hospitals and training people in that way. That would help in a huge way!

QueenOfQuotes · 02/08/2005 11:26

"but serioulsy what can we do about it?"

We can support the charities who are helping them - by donating money (which is MUCH better than sending food or clothes as the cost involved is stupendous).

bundle · 02/08/2005 11:26

thanks for that really interesting post soapbox. there was also a piece on the tuareg nomads on bbc news last night, the sight of a woman boiling up a few blades of grass was heartbreaking..

loulabelle222 · 02/08/2005 11:28

The pub that my mum works for provided the drinks and it was all on foot. no buses nothing! 10 miles isn't that far really!

Lizzylou · 02/08/2005 11:28

Excellent post Soapbox

Toothache · 02/08/2005 11:28

But LLB222 - You are talking about what we can do to help the country LONG TERM! The SHORT TERM FAMINE IS THE ISSSSSSUUUUUEEEEE!

expasperation

bundle · 02/08/2005 11:28

llb22, there are many projects where doctors/nurses help to train local medics - the fistula hospital in addis ababa is one good eg, with a similar campaign in northern nigeria this year.

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