[traviskicks]

interesting article, some people have been saying this for years:

“For God’s Sake, Please Stop the Aid!”
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,druck-363663,00.html

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Shikwati: Why do we get these mountains of clothes? No one is freezing here. Instead, our tailors lose their livelihoods. They're in the same position as our farmers. No one in the low-wage world of Africa can be cost-efficient enough to keep pace with donated products. In 1997, 137,000 workers were employed in Nigeria's textile industry. By 2003, the figure had dropped to 57,000. The results are the same in all other areas where overwhelming helpfulness and fragile African markets collide.

[visualops]

I could be wrong- but I thought I read many years ago, about India having the same problem. But they got a grip on it and basically said stop sending food- we need to take care of ourselves.