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.

The Gambia

The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries and unlike many of its West African neighbours it has enjoyed long spells of stability since independence. The Gambia is Europe’s closest tropical destination , lying along the mangrove- and jungle-tangled banks of the Gambia river, and stretching from a short Atlantic coastline of sandy beaches into the heart of West African sahel.The gambia is the holiday destination, especially for winter sun holidays, for tourists from all over Europe.

President Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994 and has ruled with an iron fist ever since.

Stability has not translated into prosperity. Despite the presence of the Gambia river, which runs through the middle of the country, only one-sixth of the land is arable and poor soil quality has led to the predominance of one crop - peanuts. This has made The Gambia heavily dependent on peanut exports - and a hostage to fluctuations in the production and world prices of the crop. Consequently, the country relies on foreign aid to fill gaps in its balance of payments.

President Jammeh wants to turn The Gambia into an oil-producing state. He says this could usher in a "new future". However, the country has yet to strike crude oil.

Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange, as is the money sent home by Gambians living abroad. Most visitors are drawn to the resorts that occupy a stretch of the Atlantic coast.

In 1994 The Gambia's elected government was toppled in a military coup. The country returned to constitutional rule two years later when its military leader ran as a civilian and won a presidential election. But the credibility of the poll was questioned by a group of Commonwealth ministers