Benin [ FRANÇAIS ][ ESPAGNOL ]

A wonderful book is out. It is entitled Songhaï: When Africa Lifts Its Head and it is by one of our brothers, Godfrey Nzamujo OP. This article gives excerpts from the first chapter which concentrates on listing what is going well and not so well in Africa. Some statistics include:
· In Benin, during the financial crisis of 1988-1989, it is the small merchants and the farmers who courageously went to work to put the country back on its feet
· In Malawi, grandparents are taking the children whose parents have died from AIDS
· In 11 countries economic growth grew by 6% since 1997
· In 20 years literacy has gone from 27% to 54%
· Life expectancy went from 44 to 52 between 1970 and 1997.
This means that Africa is conscious of its responsibilities.
On the other hand:
· The number of people suffering from malnutrition went from 103 million in 1970 to 215 million in 1990
· 48% of the population does not have access to health care
· the mortality of children under 5 is the highest in the world.
Africa is a fragile continent. The surplus created is being seriously depleted because of wars and the displacement of populations. In the words of the author, "Africa is going from a continent of underdeveloped resources to a continent of developed poverty."