Africa is a continental that hosts fifty four countries. Most of the countries in the continent are undeveloped where there exists a good deal of countries developing at an encouraging speed. Africa as the cradle for human being has not been able to escape the trap of excellent livelihood for human beings(Ndulo, 2006). Most of the countries have been exposed to absolute poverty for vehemently long time. It has not been clear on who is to blame for the alarming levels of poverty in Africa. It would be extremely difficult for Africans to completely deal with the level of poverty in Africa. Hunger has been a critical issue in Africa for a long period of time. Despite the improvements experienced for some people in the African society there are groups of people who seem not to experience any advancement and are exposed to absolute demerits of poverty (Sachs, 2004). The African problem of hunger can only be solved upon conversion of Africans to positive attitude towards life as well as support by international governments and non-governmental organizations.
Poverty in Africa has been encouraged by various forces where most of these forces are connected to poor economic performance for the countries in the continent. Poverty is the main cause of hunger in any country. Most of the countries in Africa have not experienced any economic advancement that would bar them from experiencing the alarming levels of poverty in their countries. There are no excellent structures put in place to ensure that they are in a position to deal with the problem of poverty in an extremely fast speed. There still exist absolutely poor governance styles which have hindered development in the continent. Old policies have been entrusted modern challenges, which is extremely difficult to achieve or experience under extensive economic challenges (Sanchez & Swaminathan, 2005).
Although, there is a group of people in the continent under upper class who have been able to avoid poverty, there still exist a good number of individuals under the alarming levels of absolute poverty. The level of education in Africa remains below standard in comparison to other continents where education has been highly recognized and all parties are committed to ensure that they escape the line of poverty in the country. With excellent education some of these problems like poverty and hunger will have been dealt with in an extremely reliable manner. Education prepares an individual in a concrete manner to handle adverse challenges that are likely to come up in the livelihood of a given individual. Individuals with low levels of education are prone to absolute challenges in life with poverty being the main element which in return attracts exemplary levels of poverty. African people have developed negative attitude towards their livelihood exposing themselves to absolute poverty that has rendered them poor with the inability to perform accordingly rendering them hunger prone individuals where a lot of people have died out of hunger in the continent (Egendorf, 2005).
Also, lack of expertise on different techniques that may be used in ensuring hunger is dealt with in an exhaustive manner would be a major challenge in eliminating poverty in Africa. There are various methods which may be employed to ensure that hunger does not exist in Africa and all countries are ready to fight the alarming levels of poverty in the continent. Although, the continent has nutrient rich soil, agriculture has not been exhausted in the land. Africa has the potential of being the most outstanding continent in agriculture if all necessary resources were pulled together and used for the goal of excellence in performance in the agricultural sector. It is unlucky for the continent to be still dependant on developed countries for feeding the citizens of their country. African people are not aware of the various crops that they may grow to ensure that hunger is completely dealt with in the continent (Sanchez & Swaminathan, 2005).
However, the absolute poverty in Africa can be eliminated. This would be possible through employment of various strategies. One of the main strategies that may be used in the elimination of the alarming levels of poverty in Africa is by giving food to the societies which are exposed to extensive levels of poverty. There are different groups of people in the continent who are exposed to absolute poverty to a point they cannot afford food on themselves but have to remain dependent on the donations that they get from foreign governments as well as foreign non-governmental organizations. Most developed countries have been at the forefront to fight the hunger that has struck Africa. Different countries like the United States have developed governmental funded organizations that have been of extensive significance in fighting poverty and hunger in Africa. For example, the United States developed an organization known as USAID (Sanchez & Swaminathan, 2005).This is a representation of what the foreign governments are doing t ensure that poverty as well as hunger in Africa has been dealt with in an extremely critical manner. These efforts by foreign governments to eliminate hunger in Africa do not confirm end of poverty in the continent. As time moves on with adverse growth in the global economy there are some countries in Africa that have not been able to match the global economic performance. This has exposed citizens from various countries in Africa to poor performance rendering them poor and with an inability to support excellent livelihood. Therefore, Africa still needs extensive help by the developed economies to assist them in achieving reliable economic performance (Sachs, 2004). This will equip citizens with the ability to identify opportunities that surround them and come up with proper schemes of dealing with the poverty that surrounds them. There also needs advise for the different governments in the continent to ensure there is excellent governance in the country where all people are given equal rights with excellent policies for governance in the continent (Ndulo, 2006). This would be a formula by the developed economies to assist in governance of resources in the continent making it possible for all people to engage in economic performance attributed to by excellent availability of resources.
The other element that needs be touched to assist Africa in fighting hunger is through establishment of projects or schemes that will assist citizens remain productive in their works. Africa is a continent with soil that is rich in nutrients as well as a lot of rich resources that may assist the economy of the continent to grow in an extremely serious speed. Therefore, developed countries like the United States and some European countries should be at the forefront to assist Africa in realizing the dream of Africa as an economically stable continent. It is a big challenge for a country which has extensive opportunity to make adverse wealth for its citizens as well as feed them to lack means to exploit its opportunities. Developed countries have stable economies where agriculture as the main source of food in the countries remains fundamental in the sustenance of highly developing economy. Therefore, these countries should be ready to assist Africa in the use of agriculture as a tool to fight hunger. One of the main elements that drive global agriculture is technology. In Africa, it has not dawned to many citizens on how they can use agriculture as a tool to fight poverty and hunger. They have been practicing certain farming techniques for a long time exposing their lands to massive exploitation rendering them infertile to support high yields (Egendorf, 2005). Therefore, technology needs be introduced in Africa to ensure that the continent remains productive and there is enough food for every citizen. Foreign governments may intervene to solve this situation through enactment of agricultural schemes and projects that will assist the continent in making use of the best portion of the agricultural land in the continent. Also, non-governmental organizations should be ready to play roles in the elimination of hunger in the continent. There have been extensive improvements in the number of non-governmental organizations setting operations in the continent. However, the different governments from developed economies should continue encouraging organizations to continue setting camps in the less developed countries in Africa where there is absolute poverty (Egendorf, 2005).These organizations should continue with their efforts in fighting hunger in Africa they should continue financing various projects in agricultural produce to ensure that there continues to be food security in the continent. They need to continue facilitating food donations for regions that are seriously hit by the problem of absolute poverty in the country. In regions where hunger strikes every year, serious investment on agriculture must be carried out to make sure hunger is fully eliminated in such regions (Sachs, 2004). This will be a formula to ensure the problem that may have continued to the future has been solved and there is future in the project that has been enacted.
Lack of knowledge or education in Africa remains major cause of extensive hunger that has engulfed Africa. Countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom have been very influential in the education sector in Africa. However, their main concerns have been in the formal education where individuals are prepared for white-collar jobs. Although, this form of education has been of great significance to a small portion of Africans, improvement needs be employed. This may only take place by the continued support of the education system as well as development of new ideas through which education will be moved from books based education to livelihood based form of education (Egendorf, 2005).The later form of education would prepare individuals on strategies through which they may make their lives better as well as means through which to eliminate absolute poverty leading to hunger. Governments form developed countries may impart the African society with adverse skills that they require to make their lives comfortable in their continent. This may be done by preparing people for the informal sector. These are sectors where people are exposed to practicing knowledge on different fields such as carpentry, masonry, among other informal jobs (Baro & Deubel, 2006). This means that with a society where all people have some roles they are playing in the fight against poverty, hunger will have been eliminated. In this case, there will be a lot of people ready to handle various challenges that will ne posed to them by life. Therefore, there is need to continue helping Africa fight hunger.
Nevertheless, the role of foreign bodies in the fight against hunger in Africa cannot be won through continuous dependence on foreign aid. Africans need to change their attitude towards the problems that cause hunger. Various people in Africa have come to believe that they can only eliminate poverty through being employed in big offices or banks for them to earn good salary. This is not the case. They need to change their attitude and believe that they have to exploit the resources they got plus their talents in searching for excellence in their continent (Egendorf, 2005). They do not need to depend so much in foreign aid as disaster may strike the donors leading to extensive problem in Africa where lives will be lost through hunger.
Africa remains an extremely rich continent but its wealth has not been exploited following the reluctance of individuals in the country as well as overreliance to foreign assistance. However, the levels of hunger in the continent continue to reduce as developed countries continue to extend their hand for assistance to these countries. Governmental and non-governmental organizations have been at the forefront to fight poverty and hunger that surrounds Africa through introduction of funds, development or agricultural schemes and projects as well as extension of livelihood education to Africans. Although, they have been of massive help to the African society the problem cannot be resolved if Africans do not change their attitude towards poverty as well as hunger and they employ various strategies exposed to them to fight hunger in the continent.
References
Baro, M., & Deubel, T. F. (2006). Persistent Hunger: Perspectives On Vulnerability, Famine, And Food Security In Sub-Saharan Africa. Annual Review of Anthropology, 35(1), 521-538.
Egendorf, L. K. (2005). Africa. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
Ndulo, M. (2006). Democratic reform in Africa: its impact on governance & poverty alleviation. Oxford [England: James Currey ;.
Sachs, J. (2004). Ending Africa's Poverty Trap. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2004(1), 117-240.
Sanchez, P., & Swaminathan, M. (2005). Hunger In Africa: The Link Between Unhealthy People And Unhealthy Soils.The Lancet, 365(9457), 442-444.
