Red Nose Day or Dambisa Moya?

RED NOSE OR DIAMBISA MOYO?

Dambisa Moyo is a Global Economist at Goldman Sachs in London. She previously worked at the World Bank in Washington DC. A native of Zambia, she holds a Doctorate in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard. With the publication of her book 'DEAD AID: Destroying the Biggest Global Myth of Our Time' she appeared all over BBC radio one day in February arguing that the $300 billion received in aid since the 1960's has made the poor of Africa poorer, with wages stagnant or even fallen from their 1960's level. Her conclusion is that Aid has done nothing but slow growth in developing countries.

With Red nose day looming (Friday 13th March)the supermarkets full of red noses, red nose wine and red nose apples, and even the county council buildings sporting a giant red nose disc, should we be re thinking our approach to aid?

I thoroughly enjoy watching red nose evening with my family. We laugh and cry at all the right places. I understand why Davina Macall and not I have been chosen to tell the success story of the fight against malaria in Malawi, or Billy Connolly reuniting a family in Mozambique.I dont even feel bitter and twisted that Cheryl Cole and Gary Barlow have got to climb Mt Kilimanjaro for the cause. We buy all the produce, and ring up at about 10pm with our credit card in hand.

There have been many episodes of bad aid, corruption and economic dogma which support the 'Dead Aid' argument.It has taken many forms; guns and tanks, powdered milk, preaching against the condom, the curse of diamonds and oil, marxist agrarian revolutions and cathedrals the size of Notre Dame in the jungle

But I do believe that all of the cash from Red Nose Day does good. It is not a hand out which breeds reliance and it is not directed from the top down where it can sometimes amount to very little when it reaches its actual target. It does not always address social and economic needs and growth as would be ideal, but it does touch and save individuals; it seems easier to accept a report of a million children dying of malaria a year than it is to watch one die on a Friday night in front of Lenny Henry. I believe that if I send £10 it may be used to buy a mosquito net under which mother and children can sleep, and which may prevent further grief in a family. Life is really no cheaper in Africa and if a night in watching Comic relief makes people think a bit further than their credit crunch, born of greed, then that is OK. It for the government and the NGOs to re think their policies on aid to Africa.