Do people in Africa wear clothes?

Is sending Development Workers the best way to help Africa? To begin with – I have difficulties with the question. My objections are approximately three.

Firstly, who is a development worker? My answer is, everyone who works with development; Kenyan, Danish... When we refer to Western development workers we tend not to see the others. I believe we should ask ourselves how do Danish Development Workers work for development in Denmark?

We come to a society we do not understand to do a job we do not know and monopolise the concept of development on the way albeit with the best of intentions.

Secondly, are we here to help or to work – after all we talk about development workers, not development helpers!

"If you help a destitute person because his destitution makes you very unhappy, that would be a sympathy-based action. If, however, the presence of the destitute does not make you particularly unhappy, but does fill you with the determination to change a system that you think is unjust then this would be commitment based action," Amartya Sen writes. In my opinion sympathy is nice, but commitment is necessary. We need a new world order, with less paternalism and help, with more equity and cooperation within the Aid Business.

Thirdly, what is Africa? Do we see and define it as one dry continent or can we learn to see it as over 50 states with a multitude of peoples, not just as Non-Europe?

Now, does my being here contribute to Kenya’s development? – I doubt it. But if I am welcomed to make a contribution in the organisation I am seconded to, and interact with my colleagues, I have some hope that my working here is justified.

Let me tell you a small story. To get in touch with my roots, I have taken up playing a traditional music instrument. So when I was in Finland a year ago, I went to this folk music session. When people heard that I lived in Kenya, some came up to me and asked, "Do people in Africa wear clothes?" When I told them that there are not only clothes but also school uniforms, blackcurrant Fanta, and Internet, they were so surprised. I was overwhelmed and saddened by the level of ignorance. I had no idea since I normally move in circles of people who have lived in Africa and elsewhere. It was even difficult for me to find words to describe my African life to these people whose references were so different from mine.

So my answer is yes. We need development workers because we need goodwill ambassadors in Europe. Although youth exchange might be a better option.