Back to Africa

It is over a year since I left my post in Guinea, west Africa. For those who have no idea where that is, take a line almost due east from between Barbados and Trinidad and you will hit it. Those who know a little of the history of the British slave trade will know that a lot of slaves were shipped from that area of Africa to the Caribbean as part of the infamous "triangular trade", which sold minor goods to African slave traders in exchange for slaves, who were sold in the Caribbean, and rum and sugar bought from there for shipment to Britain.

I have had the opportunity to make the triangular trip both ways myself. I have taken small gifts from England (duty free items or good English cheese and jam), and given (not sold) them in Africa. I have taken a body from Africa (my daughter's nanny), and I have shipped rum, rum cake, jams, pickles and spices from the Caribbean to Britain.

I have done the triangular trip in reverse. too. I have taken goodies directly from the Caribbean to Africa (jerk seasoning was a great hit; reggae music had hit the Continent years ago). I sent bodies from there to Europe (my tennis coaches were given the chance to go and train in France), and then taken goodies from England to the Caribbean (nothing like English beer and cheese). None of this is likely to raise any red flags.

But the rest of the world's interaction with Africa has been fragmented, and tends to be exploitative. Africa has struggled--some would say "failed miserably"--to make things good for itself. It's hard to generalize but Generals have been amongst Africa's major problems, as they have led army revolts that have ended democracies, held on to power too long, transformed themselves into civilian leaders and then held on longer. And what can those militaristic rulers show for it? Very little in terms of improved well being for their populations

Africa is always a fertile ground for new entrepreneurs, home grown or foreign. Good returns are there for those ready to take some risks. Amongst the major investors now in Africa are the Chinese, both the State and private sector. Many African countries, and Guinea is not different, have seen this as bringing short term improvements. Chinese government contracts have built roads and some "feel good" structures such as new Parliament buildings and a lot of sports stadiums (the Caribbean knows this latter from the recent Cricket World Cup). But Chinese goods--any many of them are better than Europe and the US had been prepared to offer--are readily available, and that too makes peoples lives seem better in terms of choices and costs. Certainly, Chinese traders and goods are more common place in African cities that European and particularly American traders (if one excludes major mining and petroleum companies), and are affecting peoples lives at every turn. Africans know a lot about Chinese food now!

So, as I go back to a place where I worked for three years, I am going to try to observe what has changed in the last year of so, and figure out if things are moving ahead, stalling or going backwards. Whatever I find in terms of economic and social changes, I know I will find people who are warm and ready to welcome someone who is prepared to spend time trying to deal with the many problems that exist on this continent.