Yo Ghana!
  • Home
  • People
  • What We Do
  • Schools
    • Anani Memorial International School
    • Morle Junior High School
    • Nipaba-Brew School
    • Ebubonko Basic School
    • Angel’s Academy
    • Akalove Basic School
    • DACE Basic School
    • John Doeswijck Memorial Junior High School
    • St. Kizito Basic School
    • Tamale Evangelical Church of Ghana Basic School
    • Savelugu Senior High School
    • Don Bosco School
    • St. Paul Methodist
    • Mt. Olivet School
    • Abavana Junior High School
    • Bunda Junior High School
    • Kwahu Tafo S.H.S.
    • UniPra J.H.S., Winneba
    • St. Thomas Aquinas S.H.S.
    • Dahin-Sheli
    • Kamina Barracks
    • St. Ann's S.H.S.
    • Ave Posmonu JHS
    • Gefia JHS
    • Metsrikasa D/A Basic
    • Teach for Ghana >
      • Hurriya Islamic JHS
      • Kalpohin Kamaria JHS
      • Rawdatul Atfal JHS
      • Sakasaka JHS B
      • Savelugu Model Girls
      • Yoo Roman Catholic
      • Zogbeli M/A JHS
  • Letters
  • Resources
  • News
  • Donate

Poverty, Inc. Documentary

3/11/2016

0 Comments

 
I recently watched a wonderful documentary, Poverty, Inc., which addresses the poverty industry.

The film's thesis is that international aid has become an industry that benefits aid workers, western agriculturalists and manufacturers, and, often, corrupt politicians while often disrupting the economies of places like Ghana and Haiti.  One of the most vivid examples is from Haiti, where the U.S. exported government-subsidized rice that was so cheap that it drove most of Haiti's rice producers out of business and often into poor neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, many on the fault line where the earthquake occurred.  After the earthquake Haiti was flooded with donations of items such as solar cells--which inflicted great hardship on the local manufacturers of solar cells.

The larger problem that the film speaks to is that Americans, especially, think that places like Haiti and Ghana are defined by their need.  We don't realize that such places are full of enterprising entrepreneurs that we should be collaborating with, not trying to drive out of business.

Yo Ghana! tries to be sensitive to these tendencies in three ways.  First, rather than opening schools in Ghana we work with existing ones that are doing outstanding work.  Second, we sponsor letter exchanges that demonstrate to American students that their counterparts in Ghana are resourceful and dedicated not abject.  Third, our grants to Ghana schools build on work they have already started.  The key for well-intentioned Americans wanting to help is collaboration, on working with people already doing amazing things.

We are hoping to bring this film to Portland, so stay tuned.  Here is the trailer.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Most of the entries will be from Dr. David Peterson del Mar, the President and co-founder of Yo Ghana!

    Archives

    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2014 Yo Ghana! All rights reserved.
Proudly powered by Weebly