Do you consider Botswana to be a first world nation?
If not, what would you infer is the period necessary for it to approach first-world status? Five generations? Ten? A hundred?
Keep in mind that all existing First-World countries achieved that status with no voluntary outside "AID."
Of course Botswana isn’t a first world nation. But it’s a developing nation and is on track to be a first world nation if the trends maintain. It will probably need another 50 years of peace, stability, and freedom to develop into an industrialized nation that is on par with successful European nations.
But it does have a higher per capita GDP ($17,700) than China ($14,300), India ($6,200), or Brazil ($15,800), countries that are heavily industrialized.
Botswana more in line with Mexico ($18,500) or Bulgaria ($18,400). One of those nations has had 192 years of freedom to develop and the other has had 25 years. Botswana has had 50 years of independence, and considering the wars and waves of corruption that has swept across southern Africa, it has done well to stay peaceful, democratic, and non-corrupt. And it is paying off.
It’s not first world yet, but it is moving forward and developing. And wasn’t that what this discussion was about?