I read an article by Dani Deahl tilted "Chinese web merchants are using African children to advertise search engines and camgirls" https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/10/16121668/chinese-web-merchants-taobao-african-children-advertise-search-engines-camgirls and could not help but make a comment.
A picture speaks more than a thousand words! This constant portrayer of Africa as a continent full of starving, malnourished, and diseased children is wrong. It is unfortunate that those who know better are allowing money to blind them from doing the right thing. This is a repeat of what the continent has been through and is still going through.
Foreigners show up with "stuff" and a few people on the ground collaborating with them to exploit the masses. The issue is not just what the foreigners are doing, it is the fact that other Africans willingly participate in this exploitation.
It is entirely unacceptable and uncivilized to think that the color of somebody's skin or their economic situation define who they are and determines how they should be viewed and treated.
Next time you meet someone to see the person on the inside and not the outward appearance. This is an extremely difficult thing to do, but it is possible.
Nobody said it better than Jesus Christ the carpenter from Galilee,
"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
This known fact seems to escape many people, there is one human race and racial division is a social construct that is used by some to their advantage as they see fit. This is the message we should all be spreading and reinforcing in our children and those around us. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening.
Each time you turn on the TV all you are bombarded with are images of sickening, malnourished, and scantly cloth African children and somebody trying to collect aid for them. What percentage of this aid actually gets to these children is a topic for another discussion. For more than 50 years this caricature of Africans has been perpetuated by those who stand to gain from it. Are we interested in eradicating this poverty of making a living off of it? The toxicity of this charity is something that has to be addressed.
Do not get me wrong. Africa has her share of challenges like any other continent and I am not trying to put anything under the rug here. What troubles me are the stereotypes and biases that have been burned into our psyches to the extent that when some see people from Africa they have a hard time seeing who they are and what they have to offer.
I have been asked if we have houses in Cameroon! Really? What next are we going to be asked?
You can make a difference by learning how to make judgments not be mere appearances, but righteously.
About the Author: Dr. Eric Tangumonkem is a geoscientist, author, speaker, coach, professor, and an entrepreneur. He was born and raised in Cameroon, Africa. As a young adult, he migrated to the United States of America. He has a Doctorate degree in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a professor at Missional University, Embry Riddle, and West Hills College.
As President of IEM Approach, a premier personal growth and leadership development company, Dr. Tangumonkem’s mission is to inspire, equip, and motivate people from all walks of life to discover God’s-potential in them live it, and maximize their giftedness. To do this, the growth and development of the body, mind, and spirit MUST be in synergy. He has published several books and resources on personal growth and development and conducts public workshops, coaching, and custom training programs for companies and organizations worldwide.
Available for speaking engagements:
If you want to invite Dr. Tangumonkem to come and speak you can all him using this number 317-975-0806 or email him at eternalkingdom101@gmail.com
If you are interested in my other works they can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/etYM9v8