How to Help People in Africa
There are many ways to help people in Africa. With many of its countries referred to as underdeveloped nations, it is easy to understand why. This is the reason why so many people who want to help turn their attention to the disenfranchised of Africa. For those interested in how to help people in Africa, this article will try to provide a place to start.
Water
One problem that affects the people of Africa is the most vital resource of all life—water. Developing nations experience the issue of unclean water most severely, with as much as 80 percent of illnesses being traced back to poor water and sanitation quality. In sub-Saharan Africa, 319 million people are without access to improved reliable drinking water.
An organization that looks to curb this imminent problem is The Water Project, an organization dedicated to providing safe, clean water to all people worldwide. They accomplish this by working with local teams in the affected region and, through this cooperation, create and implement clean water programs.
A person looking for how to help people in Africa can find a great method through this organization. One of the most helpful and readily available ways to help this group is by donating to help The Water Project carry out its projects.
Another way to help The Water Project is by creating a fundraising page. There have been over 3,000 fundraising pages created that have raised more than $3 million. There are even more ways to lend a helping hand, including starting a campaign, taking “the water challenge” and becoming a member.
Food and Nutrition
Another problem that many impoverished people in Africa face is lack of proper nutrition, or lack of food altogether. This is especially the case in the Horn of Africa (the peninsula in the east, including Somalia and Ethiopia), where 11 million people are in urgent need of food assistance.
Anyone looking for how to help people in Africa can do so by assisting the World Food Programme (WFP), an organization dedicated to helping the world’s hungry through grassroots methods that has helped over 80 million people in 80 different countries since its inception.
To help, the WFP has listed ten different ways for the average citizen to lend assistance to those in need. These methods include donating both by computer and by text message, spreading the word through sending online quizzes and informational videos, using social media and much more, all of which are simple and easy to do from home.
Volunteering Abroad
Volunteering is a great way to get involved in a more grassroots fashion. For those wondering how to help people in Africa in a way that is a bit more involved, volunteering abroad provides an excellent opportunity.
By visiting the Projects Abroad website, one can find a wealth of information about how to volunteer on the ground in Africa. Margot Le Neveu, who worked in Ghana, gives a taste of what it is like to volunteer with orphans in Africa. She says, “Working at the orphanage was my favorite part of my trip to Ghana. The wood market and bead market were nice to visit, however I really loved playing with all the children at the orphanage.”
Projects Abroad offers several different ways to volunteer, including with day care centers and kindergartens, special needs children and at orphanages themselves. This service provides much-needed growth, stability and social interaction to children that would otherwise do without. Volunteers working through the Projects Abroad programs say they feel that they are “really making a difference”.
All of these organizations offer a variety of ways to help people in Africa. No matter which option you choose, you can know that your assistance is making a vital difference in the lives of impoverished people.
– Stephen Praytor
Photo: Flickr