End of Chapter 1

It's 9.00am and a bright and sunny day here in Lusaka. My morning has involved nothing much more than stuffing an already full stomach with a buffet breakfast and seeing off the crew of a 2nd plane that was here.

My time in Africa is drawing to a close. I'm outbound to Joburg on Sat and then out to Sydney on the long haul on Sun.

It's not quite time to get excited yet, still a couple of days to go.
I'm 'home' for a couple of days then off on a long awaited break in Thailand and Malaysia.

So while I wait for the time to pass, I might as well pop my introspective up now. What follows is my little slice of what I've seen in the past few months.

Before I got here, Africa was just one big country. Kind of like Australia, big in size, but where ever you go people would pretty much be the same. After all, an Aussie is an Aussie whether from Sydney, Perth or God forbid Brisbane. So why wouldn't all African's be the same?

Well that got shot to pieces very soon after I got here. Africa is as diverse as places as the likes of Europe and South America. With as many differences and troubles as any truly multi-national continent would have. Within it there is a scope of living and people that range from the chaos and fighting of Mogadishu in Somalia, to some of the most decadent coastal communities near Capetown in South Africa. There are so many things, and so many issues going on here that it's almost an impossible task to get a grasp on it all. So like any stubborn male, I'll have a go.

Firstly I want to separate the countries that are getting somewhere and have a clue about what they're doing. Places like Botswana with their tourism. South Africa (to a point) with primary industry, tourism, modern living and healthy exports. Zambia, an up and coming country who has a big potential for tourism, business and export.
These places and the people who lead them understand the value of what they have as a country. But more importantly they seek to educate themselves and are willing to build the infrastructure required to make the most of it.
They understand the place they take in the wider world and understand the balance between national identity and foreign trade.

Now this brings me to the other 75% of Africa, the people and in particular the leaders there. This is the scenario. You have a tribal culture, where most of your day is spent just trying to get by. Food, shelter raising kids and the like. For the most part, if that were all there was, there would be nothing wrong at all. People like the Kalahari bushman, the native amazonians are all seen as intersting and rich cultures that can be studied but otherwise left alone to exist as they should.

Now however, put several billion dollars worth of gold, diamonds, minerals, oil and gas under them and it all changes very quickly. No longer are they of novelty value to the western world, they are now obstacles in the way to getting very, very rich.
So what do you, pour in 'aid'. Help 'lift' their standard of living. Show these people what life is like on the other side, but by the way, let us dig up those little bits of glass that you have no real interest in. One thing though, don't want to pay everyone, just enough people at the top of the ladder to get things done.
After a while, people catch on to what they're sitting on. They start to like what they are getting in return for these bits of glass and now they've got the weapons to take over other areas and start working on a 'to kill one day' list. As long as you keep the money and guns coming you can keep digging.
A few years and CNN reporters later, the leaders of the western world develop a concience and sends in support to the 'government' to combat the bad guys who are getting out of control. The shit starts to rise and 'aid' starts pouring in to help the people on the bottom end getting shot and starved. Handouts, food, endless freebies. After all, the guys at the top are getting fatter, so the bottom should as well.
Given enough time, it prevades the culture. Instead of being happy with who they are and what they have, they embroil themselves in conflict, fighting over all the cash that's flowing into the counrty. Little do they realise, if they just got together, organised their resources and built some infrastructure they'd have more money than they could ever know what to do with. But at the end of the day, tribes are tribes and what's mine is mine, and if I can get yours as well, even better. The idea of co-operation and the common good is non existent. They are still just living day to day, only instead of spears they have guns. Instead of horses they have cars. Instead of growing food, they can now just import.

This situation, although taken from what's happened in the DRC is represented through so much of Africa. It's caused a situation where children are growing up expecting to get a hand out from anyone who isn't a local. The moment someone sees you, the hand goes out as though you were expected to give them something and those that have heard the words utter 'Mister, mister, money money'. Interesting at first, but infuriating after a few months. I never thought one could know what an ATM feels like. You can see people trying to work out where the money is on you and how to get it out.

The thing is there is not silver bullet. While there are riches to be dug up, the western world will want it. While there are freebies being flown in every day, people won't want to work. While everyone is trying to grab the first thing they see, their nation will continue to suffer.

Let me throw some statistics at you. Year round rainfall, rich soils which extend in some places as much as 10 meters. An abundance of minerals, metals and of course diamonds. And a river so vast and so powerful that with a proper hydro scheme, could power the entire continent of Africa. Imagine having that amount of resources in Australia. Imagine the wealth and the standard of living we could have. Yet they choose to live in straw huts next to concrete buildings. Drive around potholes instead of fixing them. Ask every foreigner for money instead of learning how to earn it for themselves. Dig half hearted diamond mines instead cultivating land.
It is a shame and it makes you sad, angry and frustrated all at the same time. They could live the lives that they dream and see us westerners living, but they just don't realise what they have to do to get it.

Having said all that, there are some great people and some amazing places here. My experience has seen more dark than light, but I do know there is a lot that this continent can offer. You could come here, and see none of what I've just talked about, and most people will do just that.
They'll do the safaris, stay in the lodges, buy a few pieces of endangered wood. For them Africa will be the sunsets and sweeping savannahs of the National Geo's. And that's fine.

For me though, I'm glad I've seen what I have. To have lived it, breathed it, swore at it.
I can jump on a plane and book a tour anytime. But to see the real Africa. The Africa most people here live. The Africa that will ultimately guide the future of the whole continent. That was worth all the heartache and pain. And to be paid all along the way, even better :)

At the end of the day there is still a lot more to see. More dark, more light and I think I'll be coming back for more.