Why hasn't the idea of volunteerism caught on in Africa? Perhaps Nico or Carsten might enlighten us on this.

I've often wondered in riding by towns and cities and seeing piles of garbage by the road, why someone who lives in the area doesn't get a group of volunteers together to pick it up and bury it or do what is necessary. There are so many people without work and a lot of time on their hands, It seems it would be an easy thing to do if they could be motivated.

For instance, here we have volunteers who adopt a section of highway and regularly go out and pick up old tires, trash, etc. There are volunteers who help clean rivers. This goes on and on. People adopt a rotary (round about) near a highway and plant flowers.

Anyone have any ideas of why this hasn't caught on in Africa?

In some areas could it be that surviving is taking the brunt of the energies?

Atravelynn:

You are probably right in many cases, particularly the women. However, every time I've been riding any distance between Amboseli-Tsavo-Mombasa I see women breaking their backs building a new manyatta, taking care of the kids, cooking, going for water, tending the shamba, the kids are herding the cattle and goats and the men are just sitting around in a group talking and not working at all

I've found that many of the lodge/camp workers work every day for a month or two with no time off, and then they may get a month to travel home and enjoy their families. I've asked them if when they are home they help their wife. They say, "no, it is Mama's job" so they have no responsibility to do anything. Thus they do have plenty of time on their hands. The idea of sharing the work load at home hasn't occurred to many of them. In fact when I've suggested that when they go home they give Mama a day off and they take care of the kids for a day, their response is, "my tribe mates would tease me".

Thus the old tribalism may also enter into the equation that people don't know about volunteering to do necessary things around their homes/villages.

Having been involved in a very minor way with fresh water projects, one of the problems is that it is not their problem as it "Does not belong to me!"
There seem to be direct lines drawn on who has what responsibility & "Litter is the governments task not mine!"

I have heard of water systems benefiting villages to fail for this reason "It is not ours to mend!"
Even though it has been gifted to that village alone.

The same Charity now charges each village inhabitant before supplying pumps, irrigation, dams that sort of thing. The money charged is then paid back in wages for labour to the people but now as they have paid for it they take care of it as it belongs to them!

Great story Kipper.

How innovative it was of the Charity to make the people think in terms of "ours" and be able to help pay those who were willing to help with the upkeep of the well/dam/pump.

Perhaps a downside to so many charities in Africa is giving the people the impression that things will be done for them instead of empowering them to do things for themselves.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Difficult question. I think it has to do with the general attitude towards the environment. The less developed a country is, the less people care about their environment. If people are directly affected, they show some responsibility, but if the rubbish is not in front of their own door, they couldn't care less - not only in Africa.

Why men don't help their woman when back home is surely connected to tradition/culture. Men go hunting (today they hunt dollars) and woman bring up children and feed the family.

It will take a looooooong time for that attitude to change.