You Should Know: 5 Ways in which Diaspora Africans are Crucial to Africa’s Growth and Development (PART II)

In the previous post, I discussed two ways in which Diaspora Africans are playing important roles in fostering innovation in Africa. I chose to focus mainly on people and organizations which aim to impact Africa and Africans economically. However, in this second part, I intend to focus on the more social ways in which diasporeans impact their native and adopted countries.

1)      You are learned: and can make significant contributions on the African continent using your expertise. It is no secret that travel is an education unto itself. Exposure to new lands, people and cultures lends a certain kind of sophistication to one’s outlook and will broaden one's perspective in no small way. Whenever I travel to a different country, I am always in awe of just how huge the world really is and how diverse human beings are. I am constantly reminded that there is indeed a whole world out there, outside of my own everyday existence with its peculiar joys and challenges. Elsewhere in the world people are going about their own lives just like I am doing and they are having experiences – working, playing, laughing etc. I usually return refreshed because there is just something about being reminded once again that life is much bigger than the little, insignificant things that we obsess about daily, the world will keep moving even if I get to work late, so what’s the point of stressing about it? But I digress.

In any case, I will not dwell too much on this particular topic because it sort of ties in with #2 from the previous post. There are brilliant, ingenuous and creative people living on the continent as well as in the Diaspora, however, people are more likely to have opportunities to develop their talents when they live in developed nations. This is one of the reasons for what is often referred to as the “Brain Drain” which simply put, is the migration of intelligent and talented people to other nations in search of opportunities. Whether one is pursuing a higher education or learning trades, being in developed countries will often ensure that the person has received a top of the line education with the best tools and technology available in the world today. Therefore, these people will end up well prepared to solve problems in their chosen fields and think “outside the box” when necessary.

The point I am trying to make is that it isn’t just Diaspora Africans who are learned, people on the continent are learned too. However, Diasporeans have the added advantage of being able to view things in a different way due to the new perspectives they have acquired. One only needs to look at the organizations mentioned in the previous post to see how much of an impact one can make after having had the opportunity to see how things are done in other countries. This factor can also have the added effect of making one very passionate about making changes and having an impact on the African continent.

In addition to Non-profits, the influence of Diaspora Africans spans the fields of music, movies, fashion, literature, politics, business, entrepreneurship and any other sphere you can mention. I believe that this rubbing of minds and exchange of ideas will only lead to greater progress in advancing the continent forward in all areas.

Lesly Dube, a UK-educated Zimbabwean, is the CEO of Exploits Solutions, an Events and Projects Managing Company.

(Video courtesy of youtube.com)

2)      You provide diversity in your adopted country: and sometimes a much needed sense of superiority for its citizens (this is really funny). This is often easy to forget given the horror stories you hear about and probably your own experience with visiting foreign embassies while you still lived in your native country. Who could ever forget the good old days of waking up at 2am in order to skip the Lagos morning traffic and arrive at the US Embassy only to stand in for two more hours and hopefully be allowed in that day otherwise, well, you could look forward to repeating the whole process again the next day. And how about the day you finally received the visa or permit (whether it was for a visit, via the green card lottery, to further your education, to attend a conference or for any other reason) did you feel wildly elated? Or did the real thing somehow just not match up to the way you had imagined it would be? In any case, it probably didn’t matter much because you instantly realized that there were preparations to be made for your upcoming relocation to your new country of residence!

Over the years, we have been conditioned to see ourselves as poor, helpless masses that should remain ever grateful for having been offered entry into another country. It is true that for many, leaving their home country for wealthier, more developed nations is sometimes a matter of necessity. We also cannot ignore the fact that these countries are wealthier and more developed mainly because in most cases they have had a succession of great leaders for centuries. A few of these may have even paid with their lives (think Abraham Lincoln) for the higher ideals they fought to implement which in turn had the consequence of keeping their countries moving forward. Given such a legacy and in the grand scheme of things, what excuse would they have not to be wealthy and well-developed?  

By comparison, most African countries are mere babies when one takes into consideration the small number of years during which they have been under self-government as well as the unsolved identity issues and other sources of conflict that Colonial governments created and left behind when they departed. I say all this to say, yes we can do better and yes we are moving forward in many ways, but in the meantime, we have absolutely no reason to feel ashamed. Things will change and the continent will rise.

In the meantime, many of us still find it a matter of necessity to ship on out and live in other societies; a learning experience which is powerful and should by no means be taken for granted. Nevertheless, let us be aware that immigrants provide a source of much needed diversity to societies, not to mention a source of cheap labor and a disciplined and hardworking candidate-pool for menial and low-wage jobs (at least initially). There are very few of us (mostly those from upper class families back home) who can say we have never been fast food workers, cleaners, CNAs, babysitters or taxi-drivers. Even the great Mark Burnett worked as a nanny (or a Manny??) when he first arrived in the United States. And he came from the UK, a country which is respected by other Western nations (unlike most African countries). This is probably why he was able to score a job as a nanny, working for a wealthy family in Hollywood.

We all know that the major cities of the world which have the largest populations and GDP also tend to have a very high level of ethnic, religious, economic, social and every other form of diversity that you can mention. From New York to Los Angeles, from London to Lagos, this is what you will find. As a result, there is always a variety of entertainment, food, culture and other lifestyle factors from which one can choose. Towns and neighborhoods with very little diversity (for example think of a wealthy neighborhood you know) are usually quite boring by comparison. Yes, there may be nice houses and shopping malls but it all tends to look really cold and clinical, you don’t feel the buzz and excitement of lives being lived with joy and laughter, when you are around places like this. So diversity is a wonderful thing and as an immigrant, you are helping your adopted country in this regard, contributing your own unique skills and talents and generally making things more lively and interesting!

On the other hand, this also makes you an accidental ambassador which is something to be mindful of. People will make judgments or cast aspersions on your entire country or even the whole continent based on a single interaction with just you! This happens all the time and can be controlled as we see fit to ensure that more positive notions are created than negative ones…whenever possible.

Mary Shittu (UK-educated) is a Nigerian Fashion Designer and TV show host. 

(Video courtesy of youtube.com)

3)      Lastly, you are brave and courageous: to leave your country of origin in the first place. I remember after having been in my new country for a few months, feeling as though I had just found out how difficult life could really be. It was as though all the so-called “suffering” I had endured in my home country had done nothing to prepare me for assimilating into a new society which can be a harsh, humiliating and sometimes depressing or painful experience.

I have many friends with whom I grew up, whose shadows have never darkened the doorways of the embassies of any western countries. It is just too much stress and they are not willing to be belittled and treated like sub-humans, just to get a visa nor are they willing to relocate anywhere where they will be considered the dregs of society. They have also decided that they will never endure being looked down upon by people who sometimes will not have half the education, sophistication or breeding that they themselves possess, merely because they will be seen as having “come from Africa”. I completely understand their position, especially after having been through the process.

Therefore, we have to admit that choosing to travel out and strive to excel in foreign nations is a very brave and courageous thing to do. While it is nice, given the state of things at home, to be able to do this, it would be even nicer to be able to do it without having to prove yourself over and over again in order to be accorded a minimal amount of the respect you deserve.

So to all my Diasporeans, whether in the middle or otherwise, Starlight sees your greatness and she greatly salutes you from the bottom of her heart!

XOXO,

Starlight.