The year Africa hosted the World: by Linda Krige, Africa the good news

"Irrespective of the result of the final, the real victor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is Africa and the South African people," stated a press release from the United Nations in the week following the final match between Spain and the Netherlands hosted at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

In 2010 Africa was, once again, characterized by a mix of triumphs and tragedies. Seventeen African countries celebrated 50 years of independence from colonial rule, to mixed analysis of the progress that's been made. Many African countries made significant progress during the year, while the outlook for some remain far from positive.

The year will, however, probably be remembered as the year that Africa successfully hosted the world and showcased the organizational skills, hospitality and enthusiasm of its people, and the vast potential of the continent. Therefore, as we highlight some of the best good news stories of the year, we have to start with the successes of Africa and South Africa in hosting the world's biggest sporting event.

An African World Cup
South Africa's hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was almost universally seen as a success story, not only for the country, but also for the continent. FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave South Africa a score of 9 out of 10 for organizing a successful tournament, as compliments poured in from all over the world. While most compliments went to the host country, Blatter called on the people of South Africa to use the success of the World Cup as an example of what the African continent can achieve.

When South Africa was chosen as host for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they promised the world a truly African tournament. However, some parts of the media questioned just how African the 2010 World Cup was. Analysis of tourist trends during the tournament showed that almost 40% of World Cup visitors were from Africa, suggesting it was an African World Cup after all. In addition to African soccer enthusiasts, the World Cup final was also attended by at least 15 African heads of state. Some commentators commended the World Cup for highlighting Africa's biggest improvements, such as the vast amount of economic growth and infrastructure development changing the face of the continent.

The Black Stars shine brightly
While the hosts and other African contenders exited the tournament after the group stage, the fairytale story of the World Cup was Ghana's Black Stars, who became only the third African team in history to reach the final 16. This caused huge excitement in their home country and in South Africa, as Africans united to support the last African team in the run for World Cup glory. When the Black Stars left South Africa after their defeat at the hands of Uruguay, they were given a hero's send off by a parade of South Africans, as well as former South African President Nelson Mandela, and were welcomed back to Ghana by thousands of supporters.

Kenyan votes for a new constitution
South Africa and Ghana were, however, not the only countries to reach milestones in 2010. Kenya took an important step forward when Kenyans voted in favor of a new constitution that set out a Bill of Rights, created a National Land Commission, and de-centralized political power: a vote many Kenyans saw as paving the way for greater government accountability and a fairer distribution of resources. In addition to, and in some cases as a result of, the new constitution, Kenya also saw a property boom, a rise in remittances, a record year for tourism and a projected 4.9 % GDP growth in 2010.

Tourism growth
In 2009 Africa was the only continent to see a rise in the number of international tourist arrivals - with travelers increasing by 5% - compared to decrease of 4% worldwide. In 2010 the World Cup in South Africa and increased political stability in Kenya contributed to a growth in tourism on the continent. Other countries to see growth in tourism include Zimbabwe, Angola and Mauritius. Sierra Leone also saw tourists, in small numbers, returning eight years after fighting ended in the western African country.

The African giant awakes
One of the major stories on Africa over the past year has been the fact that African economies fared much better than expected during the global recession because many of their governments maintained prudent macroeconomic principles and kept up public investments. However, most analysts agree that far more economic reform is needed on the continent for growth to continue.

The World Bank now projects African GDP growth of 4.5 percent for 2010 and 5.1 percent in 2011 on the back of good agricultural performance and public investment. Shanta Devarajan, the World Bank's chief economist for Africa, recently said that Africa was poised to embark on two decades of economic growth of the kind that India experienced in the last 20 years. 

While Africa still faces many challenges, including youth unemployment, lack of infrastructure and inadequate governance, the story of the African economy is increasingly one of potential. The African Diaspora also remains an important force in African economies, and a potential catalyst for further growth as skilled members of the Diaspora return to Africa in what is known as a "Brain Gain". The World Bank expected remittances to sub-Saharan Africa to grow by almost 2 percent in 2010, exceeding $21 billion despite a weak global economy.

The Millennium Development Goals
With economic growth in Africa picking up momentum and increasing business friendly practices in many countries, the past year saw a growing call to replace aid to Africa with trade. Although experts say it's still possible for Africa to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that include eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting disease epidemics and developing a global partnership for development, it needs strong support from the international community to do so.

However, many countries have made significant progress towards reducing poverty and improving the living standards of its people, including Botswana and Cape Verde: the only two countries to have graduated from the list of Least Developed Countries to become Medium Developed Countries. Other success stories with regard to achieving the MDGs come from Ghana and Ethiopia. Ghana is set to become the first country in Africa to halve poverty and hunger before 2015, while primary school enrolment in Ethiopia has increased by more than 500 percent since 1994. A report also said that African countries were making the most overall progress in achieving the MDGs.

HIV/Aids and other pandemics
Africa has also gone a long way to improving its image as continent of death and disease. Contributing to a global decline in the rate of new HIV infections, a report from UNAIDS shows that 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have reduced new HIV infections by more than 25 percent. The development and improved availability of medical treatment for HIV also lead to a slight improvement in life expectancy in southern Africa.

Other health developments include: The Carter Center announced it was close to eradicating the dreaded Guinea worm disease; In October 15 countries started on a drive to immunize 72 million children against polio in the highest risk areas, while a new, more effective double-strain polio vaccine brought new hope for the eradication of the disease; In December Burkina Faso became the first country to begin a nationwide campaign to introduce a new, cheaper vaccine that promises to rid the entire region of the primary cause of epidemic meningitis. The vaccine, called MenAfriVac, will be used to inoculate 450 million people throughout the continent by 2015;

While the vast majority of malaria deaths still happen in Africa, reports have showed that programs to fight malaria, such as distribution of bed nets and drugs and spraying insecticides, have saved nearly 750 000 lives over the past 10 years, and an additional three million children can be saved by 2015 if the world continues to increase investments against malaria. The World Malaria Day African Update by UNICEF and the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership, said "progress in Africa is on an upward and accelerated trajectory".

The African Green Revolution
A recent study showed that African nations can break dependence on food imports and produce enough to feed a growing population within a generation - despite extra strains from climate change. 2010 saw the inaugural African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in September lead by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan with the aim of transforming agriculture in Africa and tackling food security. The Green Revolution in Mexico, India and elsewhere saw large increases in yields through interventions such as investment in irrigation, fertilizers and high yielding crops.

The forum came at a time when, after 20 years of relative neglect, African agriculture was already seeing substantial growth in production and a new interest among major donors in funding the sector. African agricultural finance was under the spotlight as the continent turned into a fashionable post-crisis investment destination, and reports called it "a period of optimism about the prospects for Africa and African agriculture." Outcomes of the forum included plans for the empowerment of women throughout the agricultural chain by accelerating access to improved technology, finance and markets; investment in science, technology and research; and plans to scale up access to finance by farmers and agri-businesses. Work towards increased food security has seen exciting developments throughout the year in countries such as Ghana, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, and other countries in West Africa.

Going green
While 190 nations are gathered in Cancun, Mexico until 10 December for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, there is a growing awareness of the possible benefits green energy and protecting the environment can bring to Africa.

Some exciting developments from the past year include: The launch of a green wall, or transcontinental 7,000-km tree planting project, reaching from Senegal to Djibouti in east Africa; New onshore wind farms on four islands in the Cape Verde archipelago, planned to be the first large scale wind project on the continent and the first renewable energy public private partnership in sub-Saharan Africa; Huge investor interest in Morocco's $9 billion solar power scheme; Research this week showed the number of endangered mountain gorillas in national parks straddling Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has increased by 26 percent in the last seven years, a sign that conservation efforts are paying off.

2011: a brighter future beckons
Another newsletter of the same length could be written about progress and innovation in Africa during the past year, specifically on the difference media and mobile technology is making to the lives of many.

While the World Cup gave the world a glimpse of the potential hidden behind the barrage of negative images from Africa, it is our hope that the year 2011 will offer undeniable evidence of a continent changing, growing and developing for the better. If some of the positive trends continue, we hope to see increased regional integration and trade between African countries, more life-changing innovation, and economic growth channeled by good governance to improve the lives of Africans across the continent.

Gathering around the table

All over the United States, Thanksgiving is on people’s mind. Groceries are being bought in record numbers and invitations are sent out to family and friends. People are taking to the road from coast to coast to be with family and friends, to renew friendships, to reconcile, to forgive, to eat together and to share in the blessings of the past year.  Even I in Uganda have ordered a stuffed turkey at my Ugandan butcher, this is the first turkey I will cook in Africa and to say the least, I am excited.  Somewhere I am told I can find a jar or tin of cranberries, and I of course will do my best to locate the store where the elusive berry can be found.

Thanksgiving, is a time for family, for sharing, for creating memories and talk about times past.  We gather around tables of all sizes and shapes, made from all kinds of wood and other material, covered with table cloths and decorated with our finest dinnerware, candles, flowers, treats, linen napkins, wine, sparkling and drinks…ah the feast of thanksgiving, what a delight. Although a non-religious holiday, thanksgiving is often the one time of the year where a form of grace and prayer is heard at the table.

In Africa, Thanksgiving is not celebrated as we know it in the USA, and even if it was, there would be a lot of people absent from the table.  Most of Africa has a lot of poor and very few wealthy people. There is a small middle-class group here and there, but you have to do a lot of digging to find them. There is an economic Thanksgiving table set in Africa; the problem is that only a few share in it.  Most simply never get to enjoy the fruit of their labor, their labor never ends and only a few benefit beyond mere existence.  The average person never gets to share in the bounty that is there. Most of Africa became independent in the 1960’s, the cry for freedom and self-determination rang out in the land.  The cry for freedom, for Uhuru (Swahili) could be heard throughout Africa. The downtrodden, the poor after years of heavy yoke of colonialism dreamed and hoped for a brighter future.  They dreamed of jobs that paid a livable wage, of an abundance of food, of land that had been taken to be restored, of good schooling for their children, of medical care, of opportunities at the table of freedom and economic opportunity.  The problem was that few of those with hopes and dreams were invited to the feast of economic thanksgiving in Africa.  Only a select few with right connection, the right lineage were invited.  There was no thanksgiving with all the trimmings for the average person.  Hope and dreams gave way disappointment.  For most it was a return to life as usual.  Back to their little Shambas farming to have enough to eat, or to the city where they would live in slums and take low paying jobs, they still hoped, they still dreamed of a better tomorrow, but in vain they waited for the invitation to partake at the table come.

Eating at the table means participating, reaping the benefits of power, getting to participate in the economic pie of a better tomorrow, of a better today.  For many in Africa that day has never come.  Instead, it is corruption, bribes, thefts from government coffers of money meant for education, medical care, better roads, and better infrastructure.  The elite benefits, buying bigger vehicles for themselves as the potholes on the roads of Africa increase in size, the rich fly to South Africa, England, Germany, France, the US for medical care while the poor pay for medicine with labels such as "not for resale" at corrupt pharmacies and medical clinics that steal the medicine from government hospitals.  The rich put their children into the finest schools that can cost thousands of dollars, while the poor go without food paying school fees, uniforms, books and other things for their children....Please visit us (www.theafricanmessenger.org) for the full article.

By Jon Blanc, African Insight Blog with African Messenger contribution.

Africa can reach development targets

Africa, with its immense human and material wealth, can achieve the globally agreed development targets world leaders have pledged to achieve by 2015, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told United Nations agencies working on the continent, while also stressing the need for strong support from the international community. "The continent's people need neither pity nor charity, but rather the tools, institutions, stability and freedoms to create incomes and jobs," Migiro stated in her remarks to the Regional Coordination Mechanism meeting held this week in Addis Ababa. "International solidarity and a level playing field - especially in global trade - will go along way toward helping the continent realize its noble objectives for its people, its prosperity and its stability," she told the meeting, which seeks to ensure that various UN departments and agencies work more effectively together in the region.

She noted that the broad impacts of climate change and the multiple crises, including those related to finance, food and energy, continue to hamper development efforts in Africa and threaten to scale back hard-won development gains. In spite of these challenging trends, Africa's economic performance rebounded and has remained steadfast, with growth projected to be 4.8 per cent in 2010, driven mainly by recovery in mineral exports, official development assistance (ODA) inflows, strong government expenditure on infrastructure development, and remittances. In September, world leaders meeting in New York noted the remarkable achievements that have been made, especially in terms of reducing poverty and expanding education and access to clean water, just some of the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

They sent a clear message, said Migiro: "If we step up our efforts, the MDGs remain achievable by 2015, including in the least developed countries. "However, the Summit also stressed that more concerted efforts are needed, particularly in Africa," she pointed out, adding that the September summit's outcome document set out some of the key challenges. These include addressing climate change, reducing inequalities, advancing the well-being of vulnerable groups, and continuing to implement the global action plan for the least developed countries (LDCs), 33 of which are in Africa.

UN News.

Uganda: poverty rate reduced by 15%

Uganda's sustained economic growth has reduced the number of people in poverty by 15 percent in four years, according to the state-run National Bureau of Statistics. A 2009-10 survey seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed the number of people in poverty in east Africa's third largest economy was 7.1 million, down from 8.4 million at the time of the last survey in 2005-06, when the population was smaller.Uganda's economy has been invigorated by the discovery of commercial oil deposits in the Albertine Rift basin on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006. The lead explorer, Tullow Oil, has said it expects to start commercial production in the last quarter of 2011, although a lingering tax dispute risks pushing back that target. "Growth effect contributed more to poverty reduction than redistribution. In other words, poverty reduction continues to be driven by growth," one of the report's authors, Sarah Ssewanyana, said in a commentary.

With an estimated population of about 31 million, Uganda has maintained a strong growth momentum over the last decade, spurred by liberal economic policies, an expanding private sector and a steady inflow of aid and foreign investment. The government forecasts growth will hit 6.7 percent in the 2010-11 (July-June) financial year and economic analysts say the anticipated petrodollar bonanza will turbo charge economic expansion and accelerate the reduction in poverty. "Despite significant reduction in poverty, the northern region remains a home for the majority of the poor," Ssewanyana said. According to the survey, poverty levels there stood at 46.2 percent, down from 60.7 percent in the 2005-06 survey. A two-decade insurgency by a brutal rebel force, the Lord's Resistance Army, blighted much of the region's economic activity and displaced the population, causing the area to lag behind other regions. However, the gradual return to peace since 2005 and the allocation of huge reconstruction funds are fuelling a recovery.

Uganda is due to hold a presidential election in February and President Yoweri Museveni, who has come under criticism for rising corruption, repression and nepotism, is expected to face a strong challenge from Kizza Besigye who has stood against him twice before.

Reuters

Benin: The dawn of a new day

Hyacinthe is a mischievous ten year old boy who uses a small crutch to play soccer and climb trees. As a baby he was severely injured when he crawled over a pile of hot ash covered with leaves. This resulted in a burn contracture where skin grew over both the upper and lower limb and fused his leg into a folded position.
His injury was too severe and expensive to be treated in Benin, where he lives in a poor community. After his injury, his mother sent him to live with an uncle in a distant village, where he couldn't see his parents for years. Despite the injury, Hyacinthe was not a stereotypical disabled child, but a boy determined to overcome the school bullies with his fiery and confident personality.

Hyacinthe heard of a ship docked at the port of Benin, offering free specialized surgery to the poor. He was among the thousands of Beninese who queued to be screened by doctors who had to make the difficult decision of who to help, and who to leave. But Hyacinthe was one of the lucky patients.
His story, along with those of 11 year old Fadila, a Muslim girl from Niger, and Ambroise, a 31 year old motorcycle taxi driver from the chaotic city of Cotonou, is told in an upcoming documentary by South African filmmaker Ryley Grunenwald. "The Dawn of a New Day" tells the true story of these patients as they are treated for burn contractures, tumors and congenital abnormalities of the nose and eyelid, and the story of the South African plastic surgeon Dr. Tertius Venter who volunteers on the Africa Mercy ship and helps to put them on the road to physical as well as emotional recovery.

The Africa Mercy is part of the non-denominational global Christian non-profit organization Mercy Ships, and operates on the West Coast of Africa. The ship has docked at countries like Senegal, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Togo, Benin and Sierra Leone for nine or ten months at a time and gives free specialized surgery to as many patients as they can accommodate. These surgeries include reconstructive, ophthalmic, dental, obstetric fistula and orthopaedic surgery. According to Mercy Ships Public Relations Liaison, Kathy Gohmert, they impacted over 300 000 people during their field service in Benin, performing more than 100 000 procedures on 67 000 direct beneficiaries.

The crew of 450 volunteers from 40 nations, like Dr. Tertius Venter, pay their own way to work on the ship as medical professionals, or even as cleaners. Dr. Venter works in Dublin, Ireland as a plastic surgeon for two months every year to support his family in South Africa and his volunteer work during the rest of the year.
Film maker Ryley Grunenwald arrived on the Africa Mercy when it was docked in Liberia in 2008 to work as a cleaner. This came at a time when she wanted a break from the film industry. Instead, she ended up working in the ship's communications department and eventually made a short film that inspired the full length documentary. Grunenwald says she was moved to tell the story of the work done by volunteers on the ship and the enormous impact it made on the lives of the patients, so she returned to the ship for four and a half months while it was docked at Benin to film the full length documentary. Her impression of Benin was of a country alive with possibilities. "It's so full of life. The people were incredibly friendly and warm, the food was fantastic, and there seemed to be a lot of construction going on, with more infrastructure than some neighboring countries."

Despite this sense of possibility, she says a huge part of the population live in poverty with no access to healthcare. A child born with a cleft lip in a developed country would probably have surgery at birth, while in Benin you would find a 15 year old girl with this condition that had never been treated. This is confirmed by a special report on Benin's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals compiled by the Beninese Government and the United Nations, which states that important progress has been made, especially with regard to primary education in the country with an increase of more than 100% in 2009. According to the United Nations Development Program, there are also favorable trends with regards to lowering the infant mortality rate and increasing access to drinking water. However, major challenges remain, with 51.6% of the population still living below the threshold of one dollar per day.

To make a lasting impact beyond surgery, the Africa Mercy focuses not only on medical health care when they are docked at a country, but also on building capacity to support the broad field of health care.
"Education and training for health care professionals increases the sustainability and delivery of service long after the ship sails to the next port," says Gohmert. "For example, in 2008, surgeons at the Porto Novo Hospital and the University Hospital in Benin performed only 320 cataract surgeries. In 2009, Mercy Ships trained five local surgeons in an effective, low-cost method of cataract removal. As a result of that training, surgeons at the two hospitals performed 159 surgeries in only four weeks. Costs were lowered, and if the surgeons continue at this rate, the two hospitals combined will now perform 2 000 surgeries a year. This equates to a 525% increase in the capacity of these hospitals."

The Africa Mercy also partners with local organizations and NGOs on projects including administrative training for local hospital staff, training agricultural workers in natural organic farming, holding conferences for local church leaders; and training corrections officers and other prison workers in mental health awareness and anger or stress management. Grunenwald says she was inspired to make the film because she wanted viewers to be moved by the patients' story and realize that, even in their own communities, there were opportunities to get involved and live a life bigger than themselves. She received funding for the documentary from the South African National Film and Video Foundation and the Gauteng Film Commission, and says she received a lot of support from the Mercy Ships organization, even allowing her to film in the operating rooms to tell the story of the patients' journey to recovery.

Grunenwald explains that the documentary follows the three patients from when they are chosen for plastic surgery, and documents themes of restoration, love, sacrifice and not only physical healing, but also the emotional healing that comes through the process of surgery. While the challenges facing Africa may seem daunting, especially in the area of healthcare, "The Dawn of a New Day" is testament to the fact that a commitment to bringing healing channeled by passionate people from across the world can make a difference in the life's of thousands like Hyacinthe, Fadila and Ambroise.

By Linda Krige

International recognition for World Cup stadium

South Africa's most famous World Cup stadium, Soccer City, in Soweto, has recently come out tops in an international architectural awards ceremony in London. Soccer City, which hosted the opening and final matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has won two categories in this year's Leaf Awards recently held in London. The stadium built in the shape of a calabash won in the "Best Public Building" category and beat nine other category winners to take the overall winner's prize.

Since hosting world leaders and celebrities during the World Cup in June and July this year, the stadium has gone on to host other important soccer and rugby matches, including a Tri-Nations match between the South African and New Zealand national rugby teams. Now in its seventh year, the LEAF Awards honors the architects designing the buildings and solutions that are setting the benchmark for the international architectural community. In a statement about the awards, Leaf Awards says, "An exclusive praise must be given to our Overall Winner - Soccer City National Stadium - "The Melting Pot", Johannesburg, South Africa constructed by Boogertman & Partners.

The already world-famous project was chosen for its outstanding design and integral practical solutions. The judges and international architectural community was captivated by the excellence of the project. The architecture of Soccer City integrates the urban context of Johannesburg, its society, the historical mining industry of South Africa, and African culture as a whole." "The facade design finished in shades of brown brings human scale to a monumental building giving it instant appeal, warmth and accessibility."
"A wonderful exuberant design that seems almost uncannily to represent the continent in which it is constructed, the judges felt this would be an iconic building for Africa for years to come

Good News.