Microsoft reps claim to have done some research in the area of FOSS in developing countries and came to the conclusion that software costs/price was really not a major factor in realizing significant ICT returns in developing regions. Instead, in the grand schema of African development imperatives; ICT skills development/ICT skills expansion/ICT skills intensification are more crucial in these ‘emerging markets’ such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Give me a fish

In my opinion, an apt qualification of the above premise would be my modified version of a popular saying: Give me a Fish, and I am a happy African for one day, teach me to fish, and I become an Asian success story!

The thrust of the argument for alternative solutions purports that, free money from the West has actually crippled Africa and rendered her incapable of thinking for herself and standing on her own feet. Some seemingly strong contrary views usually turn out to be superficial at best. For instance, the notion that Germany became a success after WWII following the Marshall plan by the US 'merely' pumping a lot of money into the German economy. This line of reasoning however omits the fact that Germany was a fairly accomplished/structured/skilled society – a ready-to-go Engine that just needed some fuel to get going. Africa on the other hand, is not done building her economic Engine (i.e, policies, skills, etc) hence, no amount of fuel (dumping free money) will make her go – infact, it floods the carburetor and stalls the engine.

It is a lot easier for Western philanthropy to merely drop aid money than to adopt long-term constructive collaboration with African industries/societies to yield real access and real impacts in Africa i.e skills/policy development, expansion and intensification. Just like it’s a lot easier to drop a nickel into a panhandler’s bowl than to adopt the panhandler, train him and put him to work because the panhandler is unwashed, stinks, dumb, stupid, inferior, lacking in ambition -- pick one!