There has been widespread outrage, following reports about comments the US president Donald Trump may have made, which suggested that Africa and some parts of the Caribbean are “shitholes”. Several leaders of African countries have expressed their displeasure about the utterances of Donald Trump and Indeed, the President of my country has requested the presence of the US ambassador to express his displeasure on the said matter, whiles lots of the citizenry continue to rant with utmost displeasure.
A shithole as defined by my word web is “an unpleasant and disgusting place.” Other online sources have defined it as an extremely dirty, shabby or otherwise unpleasant place. Therefore, to paraphrase what the US President is alleged to have said, I would not be far from right to say “why allow immigrants from extremely dirty and unpleasant countries?”
Whiles I believe a person in such a position should have been more responsible in his utterances about other countries, as someone who lives in one of the so-called shitholes, with the risk of being criticised, I am seriously tempted to think his description may not be entirely inaccurate. So why do I say so?
I live in a country where my neighbours have made their backyard a dumping ground for rubbish, a backyard which also serves as a place of convenience for children by day and for adults by night. I live in a country where major drains in the township serve as dumping grounds for household waste. I live in a country where plastic wastes have become “flowers” that “beautify” the environment. I live in a country where open defecation is preferred in lots of places and beaches are used as “pooping” grounds.
I live in a country where dirt associated diseases such cholera, malaria and typhoid continuously claim precious lives and yes, I live in a country where waste management continues to be a big headache. A waste management company came to empty the manhole in my house, after which he asked, “is there anywhere around here I could dump this?” I stood there in disbelieve as I thought to myself, “there is really no where for him to dump this sh*t?
There is the bad but there is also the good. Africa has some of the most beautiful places that continue to attract tourists. Clean cities and ultra-modern structures, I cannot speak for other countries but Ghana has lots of beautiful places to visit with lots of hospitable people who don’t deserve to be called people from shitholes. That is where Donal Trump may have been wrong.
We may have a challenge with systems here but most African leaders continue to make conscious efforts to change the outlook. Democracy is still relatively young in Africa and despite its challenges I believe Africa will rise above what others think as shitholes. Until then my dear Donald Trump, instead of calling us names, give us words of encouragement that will make Africa Great.