Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Living the Dr. Livingstone Dream
LIVING THE LIVINGSTONE DREAM
Patrick Achitabwino
“And if my disclosures regarding the terrible ujijian slavery should lead to the suppression of the East Coast slave trade, I shall regard that as a greater matter by far than the discovery of all the Nile sources together,” Dr. David Livingstone in a letter to the editor of the New York Herald
If central Africa carries history of renowned figures who initiated what could be termed as the renaissance of Central Africa, then one, Dr. David Livingstone stands tall in that remarkable history. Dr. Livingstone made geographical discoveries for European knowledge, inspired abolitionists of slave trade, explorers and missionaries, opened up central Africa to missionaries who initiated the education and health care for Africans and trade by the African Lakes Company. The Livingstone impact undoubtedly played a crucial role in the struggle for national independence in different central African states. Africans educated in mission schools founded by people inspired by Livingstone were at the forefront of national independence movements in central, eastern and southern Africa.
Over a century later, we are yet to realize the full dream of Dr. Livingstone. Transportation of goods is confined to roads, unable to develop the cheaper water routes. Over a century later we are dreaming of the Shire-Zambezi waterway as one means of enhancing trade in the Sub Sahara part of Africa. We are yet to benefit greatly from trade. At best, we can only afford to export primary products, thus reaping too little from our sweat. In the words of Dr. Patrick Lumumba, an eminent academician and law professor, Africans remain the hewers of wood and drawers of water for larger economies.
Dr. Livingstone believed that Christianity, commerce and civilization would deliver Africa from slavery and barbarism. Over a century later, can we claim that we are a civilized nation? Civilization is enhanced by increased levels of literacy rate. Millions of our civilians could not break beyond the standard eight mark. Only about a thousand out of a population of twelve million people can be admitted into the university every year. Our esteemed mothers travel long distances to access water. Electricity reaches less than 2 percent of the entire population of the country. We are yet to reach the peak of civilization in totality.
We could claim that we are civilized because we are a democratic society. But embroiled in many political maneuvers, manipulation, regional-based political support, is our democracy a civilized democracy? The answer is absolutely no.
We haven’t done that badly though. Our nation has enjoyed relative peace for decades. We have a generation growing up without seeing rebels brandishing guns. We transformed from autocratic regime to democracy peacefully. We have achieved food security. Those are remarkable steps made towards absolute civilization.
In trying to live the Livingstone dream, we have as a nation to embark on an economic and social revolution. The nation has to ensure that its citizens earn what can keep them alive for thirty working days. We can hardly expect tangible progress on the socio-economic front when millions of our people are paid as low as K3, 000.00 a month. We are proud to live in a generation that has seen no slave trade. But isn’t poverty worse than slave trade. Millions of our people live on less than 2 United States Dollars a day. They are shrouded in the bondage of the slavery of poverty.
We can realize the Livingstone dream if we can say along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr that “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
It is impetrative that we develop the agriculture sector for secondary products exports to liberate from the meshes of poverty millions of Malawians who depend on farming. Let the government and the private sector establish cooperatives, equip them with appropriate resources, and challenge them to succeed. Malawi has good soil and plenty of water. If there is something Malawians know better then it is agriculture. If agriculture productivity is raised by thirty to fifty percent, it definitely can have a substantial increase on the GDP of the country.
We definitely have to revolutionize the way we do our trade. Our country has to start thinking big. I have the belief that the country can benefit a lot through selling cigarettes to international markets than tobacco leaf. Is it not possible for us to acquire loans from multilateral institutions and purchase machinery that could enable us process uranium and other mineral resources into finished products? Can’t we embark on exporting canned fish and beef? This can be the best means through which we can empower the fisherman along the lakeshore and the cattle herder from Nsanje or the northern part of Malawi to benefit from his trade. Is it not a setback to be importing tinned fish and canned beef, beans and other products when we have the capacity to produce our own and export?
One remarkable perspective in the Livingstone dream was his hardworking spirit. Perhaps one of the cancers eating productivity in Malawi is laisez faire attitude towards work. People report late for duties, knock early for lunch, return back late, and get more excuses to be out of office. The tendency of working for allowances is denting the spirit of hard working. It was hard work that saw Livingstone discovering Lake Ngami, Lake Malawi, Lake Bangweulu and Victoria Falls. As long us the mindset of our people has no drive to work for the development of mother Malawi, living the Livingstone dream would ever end up a dream. The public and private sector has much human potential capable of transforming this country. It only requires a little injection of dedication and patriotism to give out the best they can.
The country is awash with many professionals. They have the duty to lead the country towards the realization of the Livingstone dream. Health professionals must spearhead programmes meant to enhance delivery of health services to all the people; agriculturalists should champion the revolution of agriculture in the country; lawyers enhance the development and application of enabling laws that can preserve the dignity of every citizen; accountants ensure that financial resources are put to good use in the development of the nation. The list of professionals and what they can do in pursuit of fulfilling the Livingstone dream is endless. All, as citizens of our country, have the noble task of ensuring that the Livingstone dream is realized, no matter how long it may take.
Patrick Achitabwino
“And if my disclosures regarding the terrible ujijian slavery should lead to the suppression of the East Coast slave trade, I shall regard that as a greater matter by far than the discovery of all the Nile sources together,” Dr. David Livingstone in a letter to the editor of the New York Herald
If central Africa carries history of renowned figures who initiated what could be termed as the renaissance of Central Africa, then one, Dr. David Livingstone stands tall in that remarkable history. Dr. Livingstone made geographical discoveries for European knowledge, inspired abolitionists of slave trade, explorers and missionaries, opened up central Africa to missionaries who initiated the education and health care for Africans and trade by the African Lakes Company. The Livingstone impact undoubtedly played a crucial role in the struggle for national independence in different central African states. Africans educated in mission schools founded by people inspired by Livingstone were at the forefront of national independence movements in central, eastern and southern Africa.
Over a century later, we are yet to realize the full dream of Dr. Livingstone. Transportation of goods is confined to roads, unable to develop the cheaper water routes. Over a century later we are dreaming of the Shire-Zambezi waterway as one means of enhancing trade in the Sub Sahara part of Africa. We are yet to benefit greatly from trade. At best, we can only afford to export primary products, thus reaping too little from our sweat. In the words of Dr. Patrick Lumumba, an eminent academician and law professor, Africans remain the hewers of wood and drawers of water for larger economies.
Dr. Livingstone believed that Christianity, commerce and civilization would deliver Africa from slavery and barbarism. Over a century later, can we claim that we are a civilized nation? Civilization is enhanced by increased levels of literacy rate. Millions of our civilians could not break beyond the standard eight mark. Only about a thousand out of a population of twelve million people can be admitted into the university every year. Our esteemed mothers travel long distances to access water. Electricity reaches less than 2 percent of the entire population of the country. We are yet to reach the peak of civilization in totality.
We could claim that we are civilized because we are a democratic society. But embroiled in many political maneuvers, manipulation, regional-based political support, is our democracy a civilized democracy? The answer is absolutely no.
We haven’t done that badly though. Our nation has enjoyed relative peace for decades. We have a generation growing up without seeing rebels brandishing guns. We transformed from autocratic regime to democracy peacefully. We have achieved food security. Those are remarkable steps made towards absolute civilization.
In trying to live the Livingstone dream, we have as a nation to embark on an economic and social revolution. The nation has to ensure that its citizens earn what can keep them alive for thirty working days. We can hardly expect tangible progress on the socio-economic front when millions of our people are paid as low as K3, 000.00 a month. We are proud to live in a generation that has seen no slave trade. But isn’t poverty worse than slave trade. Millions of our people live on less than 2 United States Dollars a day. They are shrouded in the bondage of the slavery of poverty.
We can realize the Livingstone dream if we can say along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr that “I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
It is impetrative that we develop the agriculture sector for secondary products exports to liberate from the meshes of poverty millions of Malawians who depend on farming. Let the government and the private sector establish cooperatives, equip them with appropriate resources, and challenge them to succeed. Malawi has good soil and plenty of water. If there is something Malawians know better then it is agriculture. If agriculture productivity is raised by thirty to fifty percent, it definitely can have a substantial increase on the GDP of the country.
We definitely have to revolutionize the way we do our trade. Our country has to start thinking big. I have the belief that the country can benefit a lot through selling cigarettes to international markets than tobacco leaf. Is it not possible for us to acquire loans from multilateral institutions and purchase machinery that could enable us process uranium and other mineral resources into finished products? Can’t we embark on exporting canned fish and beef? This can be the best means through which we can empower the fisherman along the lakeshore and the cattle herder from Nsanje or the northern part of Malawi to benefit from his trade. Is it not a setback to be importing tinned fish and canned beef, beans and other products when we have the capacity to produce our own and export?
One remarkable perspective in the Livingstone dream was his hardworking spirit. Perhaps one of the cancers eating productivity in Malawi is laisez faire attitude towards work. People report late for duties, knock early for lunch, return back late, and get more excuses to be out of office. The tendency of working for allowances is denting the spirit of hard working. It was hard work that saw Livingstone discovering Lake Ngami, Lake Malawi, Lake Bangweulu and Victoria Falls. As long us the mindset of our people has no drive to work for the development of mother Malawi, living the Livingstone dream would ever end up a dream. The public and private sector has much human potential capable of transforming this country. It only requires a little injection of dedication and patriotism to give out the best they can.
The country is awash with many professionals. They have the duty to lead the country towards the realization of the Livingstone dream. Health professionals must spearhead programmes meant to enhance delivery of health services to all the people; agriculturalists should champion the revolution of agriculture in the country; lawyers enhance the development and application of enabling laws that can preserve the dignity of every citizen; accountants ensure that financial resources are put to good use in the development of the nation. The list of professionals and what they can do in pursuit of fulfilling the Livingstone dream is endless. All, as citizens of our country, have the noble task of ensuring that the Livingstone dream is realized, no matter how long it may take.
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