Grassroots Empowerment in Africa: A Personal Reflection
As a Black woman born in Sudan, my journey has been intertwined with the harsh realities of persistent poverty, instability, and the questionable impact of international charity efforts. I’ve come to realize that these efforts often fall short, creating dependency rather than fostering genuine, lasting change. Audre Lorde’s powerful words about the “master’s tools” resonated deeply with my own experiences, providing a language to articulate the shortcomings I witnessed.
In my youth, family visits to Sudan exposed me to the relentless heat and the consistent poverty that seemed impervious to charity initiatives. I questioned the impact of well-funded organizations, symbolized by the imposing UN compound with its high walls and gates. Foreign workers would come and go, initiating projects that often remained incomplete, leaving our communities in a perpetual state of need.
It became evident that these foreign entities lacked a true understanding of our needs, how we operate, and what we aspire to achieve. Collaboration was rare, and our people were seldom employed in our own country by these so-called benefactors. Their lack of genuine investment became apparent when they would abandon projects as soon as the political climate shifted, leaving us to navigate the challenges alone.
