Hunger And Poverty In Africa

Africa is a continent with 54 countries and, it is the second largest and most populous continent after Asia. Africa is blessed with both natural and human resources. Among the natural resources include diamonds, salt, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, cocoa beans, as well as woods and tropical fruits. Much of its natural resources are undiscovered or barely harnessed. However, through documentaries and stories, the media portray Africa in a way that people have a widely held and oversimplified image about Africa. So, some people see Africa not only as a country but also as a jungle where people live like animals and die in abject poverty.

Africa has been represented as a country in various ways, such that when

For example, during U.S.–Africa Business Forum in Washington DC on August 2014, the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden addressed 50 heads of state and government from Africa, and according to dailymail, Joe Biden referred

The images of Africans involve the starving little children and their mothers with flies swarming all over them, probably in some refugee camps. These make the words “hunger and drought” become synonymous with Africa. On YouTube video, Better Glob, while commenting on Africa, says, “Africa is the only region in the world where poverty and hunger are still increasing despite fifty billion dollars in charity.” Better Glob further says, “Eighty percent of African farmers live on less than one dollar per day, and over forty percent of Africa 's population lacks clean drinking water. Only two of five children have access to proper education.” Africans are being depicted as people who can do nothing to help themselves, who are helpless and dying of poverty and AIDS, who cannot speak for themselves and wait to be saved by West. The media always show images of sad and dirty African children with eyes that call for urgent donation of money, which are regularly being used to tell people that is how Africans are suffering from chronic hunger. On Ted Talks video, Africa is poor and 5 other myths, Simon Moss says, people believe that poverty is getting worse, and nothing ever changes in Africa.

These are the things that had been built by decades. Therefore, so many people in the West see Africa as a poverty-stricken country, where wars and diseases ravage. Nothing good comes from Africa, as various things about Africa are