Discussion Replies

1. 

   +1 vote

   JasonOne (6/11/09)

   Good debate and very informative. I believe that the number one reason of poverty is over population therefore those charitable institutions should make a move in educating people about family planning and not just giving them food.

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2. 

   0 votes

   lorispragg (6/28/09)

   In Sierra Leone aid is not enough. Most people live on less than $1 per day and one meal. However, this situation can not be solved by monetary aid alone. The country needs a complete re-building of infrastucture that was destroyed as a result of a civil war that was started outside the country. Schools were burnt out and books burned as fuel this has led to a generation who have missed out on formal education. As a consequence although Sierra Leonians are intellegent and are capable of helping themselves they do no have a skilled workforce. They have few architects, engineers, draughtsmen, and skilled trades people. They have barely any doctors, trained teachers, trained nurses - you get the point. When money is available from foreign aid to build infrastucture it goes to firms from other countries, for fear of corruption, who go in and build the road, hospital, sewer whatever. Unfortunaley these firms to not train local apprentices so when they leave Sierra Leone is no better off. The road or building crumble because no one is trained to maintain it. When Sierra Leone has enogh books on every subject then Sierra Leoneans will have chance to study new skills, after they learn to read of course. Buildonbook.org part of www.codep.co.uk is sending books not money. 3 million books though on every subject all recycled from schools and colleges in this country. For about £400,000 we can put books in every school in Sierra Leone. We have a complete distribution network made of of Sierra Leonean Volunteers. Once Sierra Leone has a literate workforce and has rebuild its infrastructure it is quite possible that it will no longer be dependent on foreign aid. Incidently Jasonone comment about lowering the birthrate: increasing female literacy has been shown to reduce the birthrate in developing countries. Bear in mind that in poorer countries a family will have many kids but only few will survive, without pensions parents need to have some children who make it to adulthood to support them in their old age. Over population is probably not the number one reason for poverty, war and climate change play a big part and bigger families do support one another. Why does everyone seem to want to deny people in developing countries the right to reproduce? Every organism on the earth is trying to reproduce itself all the time, if a fellow human being wish to pass on their genes why should we criticise. If we all share resources there will be enough for everyone.

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