Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Founding Principles: Africa: the situation

1 Corinthians 3:11 "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Africa is blessed. The second largest continent on earth, Africa is said to hold 30% of the world’s natural resources! It has 60% of the world's diamonds, 40% of the world's phosphate and 30% of the worlds cobalt resource and an abundance of oil, gold, copper, wood and tropical fruit. Although much of Africa is covered by desert regions, much of Sub-Saharan Africa has medium agricultural potential through to prime agricultural land.

Yet Africa is poor and hungry. The combined Gross Domestic Product of all African countries was 2.5% of the total GDP of the world in 2008, and 2.3% of the world GDP in 2009, similar to that of Mexico! Ironically, the areas in Africa which have good agricultural land potential are the very nations which are struggling the most in the world to feed their populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, maize yields have stagnated and continue to stay low despite yields in the United States and other continents increasing.

What is our problem? Looking at these facts and figures, it is clear that Africa is not a fruitful continent and is not fulfilling its God given potential. The result is that poverty continues to ravage the continent, despite decades and billions of US dollars in aid. If we are concerned about poverty as Jesus was, we must turn to God for solutions to this problem. We cannot stand by and allow for the decimation of such a rich continent and its beautiful people. Can we be brave enough to admit that there is a problem and seek God for the answers?

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