AAA-What we can do

Here in Elizabeth, we might be able to host a fundraiser to raise funds to establish a education farming community. Maybe we can host a Horse show at the stable and charge a small fee to enter your horse. Attendees to the show could then be educated about our project and be encouraged to donate to the cause. I feel that a community agriculturists can make a difference in developing the agricultural infrastructure for people far away.

AAA-Action Plan

Now that I understand the geography, history, and challenges facing South Africa, I think I am ready to begin helping. I found out that in a few years there will be a massive transfer of successful agricultural lands from the current white owners to new black owners. Regardless of who is in control of the operation, it is critical that the farms continue to be successful. In effort to continue success, black Africans need to be trained in the skills of commercial agriculture.

Farm Africa (http://www.farmafrica.org.uk/) is an organization that has been helping to develop the farming skills of Africans for over 20 years. Their programs are in effect all over the continent, successfully equipping Africans with the skills to support themselves via farming. Partnering with a successful organization like this could lead to success in my program.

Farm Africa offers kids my age several ways to make a big impact for reasonable sums of money. For 150 pounds (British Money) we can train a 'Village Vet' to prevent animals from dying from preventable conditions; for 250 pounds we can establish a demonstration plot at a school in South Africa to teach kids like me the proper farming techniques; and for 500 pounds we can build a chicken operation at a school to teach the kids about how to best maintain animals. Doing my conversions, these programs range from $200-750. If we can raise $1000 we can establish a training program that would inspire a new generation of agriculture experts in South Africa.

AAA-Problem today

Since Mandela came to power, many steps have been taken to make the races in South Africa more equal, but there is still more to do. In effort to not antagonize the race tensions, immediate re-distributions of wealth and land did not occur. Rather, time lines and plans were created to give black Africans economic empowerment, and those transfers are soon to happen.

According to The BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1071886.stm) Black Africans are scheduled to take control of 30% of South Africa's farm lands by 2014. In theory this transfer will provide jobs and empower a new generation of black South Africans, but if transfer of the lands is not smooth, South Africa could face problems with food shortages. We don't need to look far for an example, South Africa's neighbor Zimbabwe recently forced out all European farms and farmers, which has resulted in brain drain and widespread food shortages. Historically Zimbabwe was a major exporter of food to the rest of Africa, but under current conditions the country is facing widespread shortages. If this occurs in South Africa, many people could perish.

Since I live in a community that values agriculture and farming, this might be the problem for me to address! I need to establish a training program to teach impoverished South Africans the skills of agriculture in effort for them to become self sufficient!

AAA Ch. Country Profile

After the British declaired South Africa an independent country in 1910, the white led government passed laws that would ensure power would be kept in white hands. "The Native's Land Act of 1913, for example, stated that blacks could live in only 8% of the country, The rest of the land belonged to whites" (p. 170). This did not outlaw blacks from working on the whites' land, but did exclude them from decent jobs and wages. Eventually the system of racisim became institutional under the name apartheid. Apartheid means separateness and allowed discrimination based on race.

Apartheid was not entirely supported by all of the whites, many took to the streets, but were met by well armed police who did not hesitate to use deadly force. Eventually charismatic leaders such as Nelson Mandela began to threaten the Afrikaner's power by their ability to inform and persuade people all over the world to take notice and action. Mandela spent 28 years in an Afrikaner prison because of his opposition to apartheid, but while he was there he spent his time writing books which brought him fame and power. Eventually the nations of the world began to boycott South African products because they were obtained using the labor of a repressed people. This international pressure eventually forced the Afrikaner government to release Mandela from jail so he could run for the presidency of South Africa.

Mandela won election in a landslide and his government ended the institutional racism that ravaged the country. Even though the institutions of racism have been smashed, lingering inequality continues to exist.

AAA Ch. 3

Another crazy day of learning new stuff about South Africa! Shortly after the colonization of Africa, the British granted South Africa their independence in 1910. This should have resulted in the development of the country for the people, but what happened was the powerful took control! And the power was not native South Africans, it was immigrant Europeans who called themselves Afrikaners. The Afrikaners laterally fought tribes off of the best lands for growing crops, access to water, and natural resources.

Afrikaners were in charge of all the businesses and governments in South Africa and they used ancient tribal differences to keep the majority Black Africans down. For nearly 80 years this was the system of control in Africa, the Whites in power and the Blacks and Asians (mainly Indians) were the labor force. Over the span of time ancient tribal differences between tribes of Black Africans began to give way to an idea of repression by foreign rulers.

The Black Africans were very sad, but there was little they could do, the Afrikaners were in control of the military and did a very good job of limiting the Black Africans from gaining any resources to resist their rule. Instead of a violent conflict the Black Africans needed to come up with a way to oust the Afrikaners.

AAA Ch. 2

Wow! I didn't realize the first civilizations in the world developed in Africa! While people in Europe were living in caves, they were beginning to tame the land with agriculture and their civilizations were creating art and monuments to span millennia.

More recently European civilizations began to flourish and scientific advances allowed them to build mighty armies. The armies led to conflict in Europe, and in effort to fuel their expansion, Europe began looking to Africa as a source of slave labor and natural resources. From 1830 to 1910 the ancient kingdoms of Africa fell like dominoes to colonial expansion from Europe.

My specific research into South Africa has shown me they have a wealth of resources including coal, diamonds, and gold. It is amazing that they were one of the last kingdoms to be conquered and not the first! I bet their geographic distance from Europe had something to do with that!

AAA Ch. 1

I am so excited that AAA inducted me into the newest class of Africa investigators. I cannot wait to finish our training and head out to make a difference on the ground! Our first day of training taught us about the physical features of Africa. Did you know they have every climate type from rain forests to deserts to high mountain peaks that stay snow covered all year? I thought it was all jungle and Savannah where the gorillas and lions roamed! I'm not a fan of the extreme weather though, and I am thinking about doing my work in a moderate climate.

South Africa, while arid conditions do exist, is mainly a Mediterranean or marine west coast climate, which should be pretty comfortable. South Africa is also rich in natural resources com paired to other African countries. They have even developed industry and have modern cities. I wonder if a country with so many advantages compared to the rest of the continent has any problems worth me helping out? Maybe when we learn a little about the history, I might find a problem.