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Target Africa: Ideological Neocolonialism in the Twenty-First Century
Since the end of colonization Africa has struggled with socio-economic and political problems. These challanges have attracted wealthy donors from Western nations and organizations that have assumed the roles of helper and deliverer. While some donors have good intentions, others seek to impose their ideology of sexual liberation. These are the ideological neocolonial masters of the twenty-first century who aggressively push their agenda of radical feminism, population control, sexualisation of children, and homosexuality.
The author, a native of Nigeria, shows how these donors are masterful at exploiting some of the heaviest burdens and afflictions of Africa such as maternal mortality,unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS pandemic, child marriage,and persistent poverty. This exploitation has put many African nations in the vulnerable position of receiving funding tied firmly to ideological solutions that are opposed tothe cultural views and values of their people. Thus many African nations are put back into the protectorate positionsof dependency as new cultural standards conceived in the West are made into core policies in African capitals.
This book reveals the recolonization of Africa that is rarely talked about. Drawing from a broad array of well-sourced materials and documents, it tells the story of foreign aid with strings attached, the story of Africa targeted and recolonized by wealthy, powerful donors.
The author, a native of Nigeria, shows how these donors are masterful at exploiting some of the heaviest burdens and afflictions of Africa such as maternal mortality,unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS pandemic, child marriage,and persistent poverty. This exploitation has put many African nations in the vulnerable position of receiving funding tied firmly to ideological solutions that are opposed tothe cultural views and values of their people. Thus many African nations are put back into the protectorate positionsof dependency as new cultural standards conceived in the West are made into core policies in African capitals.
This book reveals the recolonization of Africa that is rarely talked about. Drawing from a broad array of well-sourced materials and documents, it tells the story of foreign aid with strings attached, the story of Africa targeted and recolonized by wealthy, powerful donors.
225 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2018
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July 30, 2020
It is so ironic Obianuju Ekeocha and her book, Target Africa are not more widely known. Almost everything she is writing about Africa—all that she values—is what Dr. Martin Luther King wanted for black Americans in the 1960’s, minus the additional information she had to include about gender/birth control/homosexuality, issues which have exploded in the last sixty years and become so enmeshed with racial questions as to be inseparable. How quickly things change! How quickly we forget our own history, who we used to be.
Ms. Ekeocha is a woman with a lot to say, about a huge continent. She freely admits problems vary from country to country, region to region and from city to small town to rural area and that it is misleading/dangerous to generalize, yet there is much which needs to be said even if it isn’t applicable across the board.
What frustrated me as a reader/reviewer—besides how few have read this book—was a dismissive and dishonest reviewer here on GR who claimed he had read it. According to this person, ‘the entirety of this book pretended to hide behind well thought out argument to simply imply that the West is bringing the impending doom to Africa.’ Further he wrote: ‘90% of (her) book pretended to have a point but somehow preceded to rotate back to the dull dull point that "abortion is sin."’
I read the entire book carefully and intently looking for the word “sin” and never saw it once. Nor did the author take an even subtly moralistic tone, unless you call loving babies and enjoying happy family life ‘moralistic? I call that joyful... But never mind.
What Ms. Ekeocha does talk about is how much Africans, especially African women LOVE babies! Her arguments are certainly well-thought out. To illustrate that, let me present a few and you decide for yourself if she is hiding behind her arguments, or proclaiming them. If she is dull or fascinating.
To begin, she points out the many fallacies with the ‘Population Time Bomb’ theorist’s line of thinking, the biggest one being that we are not headed for a population explosion, but a population implosion. She gives many figures to support her assertion, but instead of trying to cut and paste her whole book, I’ll back her up from a fairly reputable outside resource. If you checked that out you would see that elsewhere, especially in First World nations, population is shrinking. Africa is one geographical region where this is not a problem. On the question of population density, she made the point that no one considers Great Britain overcrowded, yet out of the 54 countries in Africa only 6 had a higher population density than GB. Of the rest, 30 countries do not even have 100 per square kilometer. Strategically, Africa’s large and growing population is a source of strength for them—and concern for us—unless we were to begin treating African countries as allies. Of course, we would first have to recognize them as equals, something I don’t think most political leaders outside the continent have ever bothered to do.
With reference to HIV/Aides, M. Ekeocha describes the ‘ABC’ program which resulted in a significant drop in Aides in Uganda over the years 1990-2001. ABC stands for the following:
Abstinence before marriage.
Be faithful in marriage or to one partner.
Condom use if A and B are impossible.
Unfortunately, the highly effective behavior-change approach suffered at the expense of the greater promotion of condoms and expensive antiviral drugs, both of which make money for the people who manufacture and distribute them. As a result, the AIDS rate was increasing again: In the fight against AIDS, profiteering has trumped prevention. AIDS is no longer simply a disease; it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The same is true for birth control pills, IUDs, abortion-inducing drugs, etc. The majority of westerners are not in Africa to “help” anyone. They have products to sell. And many of their ‘products’ have already been banned in Europe and America, where they have been shown to be dangerous, maiming women, causing sterility, paralysis and even death. Here women, or their families are at least able to sue manufactures—which is some compensation. African women and their families may never know and will certainly never receive compensation, and perhaps not even sufficient medical treatment.
On feminism, she points out that while Westerns claim to want to ‘elevate’ African women, their methods don’t actually address the areas and regions where the greatest problems exist, such as: the cultural practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, medical conditions, like vesicovaginal fistula, which can result from being raped or from giving birth at a young age. And women still do not enjoy the same full rights and privileges as men in certain communities, such as those where women still cannot inherit and own lands or property. First-wave feminism was mostly about property and voting rights—this is where most African women still have the greatest need. Whereas second-wave feminism has been about defining and asserting reproductive rights of women, including the right to sexual pleasure outside of marriage, contraception, no-fault divorce, and ultimately, abortion; traditionally-minded and family-oriented African women do not see any value for these so-called ‘rights’, see any need for them, nor do they desire them for themselves or their teenage daughters. Instead they are being forced to accept this kind of ‘help’ from greedy government officials who want Western monies and Western businessmen, philanthropists, among others who together comprise the new ideological colonialism of the continent.
On homosexuality, she writes:
On colonial masters, she discusses how Western societies push our values through providing free contraception and abortion, and promoting our rights-based approach to sexuality, especially homosexuality in Africa through selected media such as CNN. Western societies seem not to want Africans to follow the successful responsibility-based approach to human sexuality even where they have shown it has been successful. Rather, Africans are supposed to insist on ‘rights’ they do not want which are causing the demise of Western societies. For Africa to have a promising future, it needs to push back on this flawed paradigm and on the Western influence that is spreading it.
Her chapter on Financial Aid Addiction is fantastic and should/could be read by anyone anywhere! It is universally applicable. She is not in favor of aid and believes her people would be better off without it. She believes in the power of education, but also recognizes that in order for educated young Africans to remain to better their own country they need political stability which they currently do not have—and is the role of African governments. Western powers who have stepped in with aide to help shore up African governments, assuming they can ‘help’ have also tried to wield control over many aspects of African life, including, sexual behavior and reproduction rates. Here she makes a priceless observation:
August 10, 2018: I first heard about this book and Ms. Ekeocha on LifeSite News. I have been wanting to read her book ever since but keep putting it off for fun summer books. It is more than time to get back to serious reading especially in light of what has been happening to the Nigerian Christians .... The Christian Post is calling it Pure Genocide. Yes, Obianuju is Nigerian.
Reading in conjunction with God or Nothing.
Updated: July 27, 2020
Ms. Ekeocha is a woman with a lot to say, about a huge continent. She freely admits problems vary from country to country, region to region and from city to small town to rural area and that it is misleading/dangerous to generalize, yet there is much which needs to be said even if it isn’t applicable across the board.
What frustrated me as a reader/reviewer—besides how few have read this book—was a dismissive and dishonest reviewer here on GR who claimed he had read it. According to this person, ‘the entirety of this book pretended to hide behind well thought out argument to simply imply that the West is bringing the impending doom to Africa.’ Further he wrote: ‘90% of (her) book pretended to have a point but somehow preceded to rotate back to the dull dull point that "abortion is sin."’
I read the entire book carefully and intently looking for the word “sin” and never saw it once. Nor did the author take an even subtly moralistic tone, unless you call loving babies and enjoying happy family life ‘moralistic? I call that joyful... But never mind.
What Ms. Ekeocha does talk about is how much Africans, especially African women LOVE babies! Her arguments are certainly well-thought out. To illustrate that, let me present a few and you decide for yourself if she is hiding behind her arguments, or proclaiming them. If she is dull or fascinating.
To begin, she points out the many fallacies with the ‘Population Time Bomb’ theorist’s line of thinking, the biggest one being that we are not headed for a population explosion, but a population implosion. She gives many figures to support her assertion, but instead of trying to cut and paste her whole book, I’ll back her up from a fairly reputable outside resource. If you checked that out you would see that elsewhere, especially in First World nations, population is shrinking. Africa is one geographical region where this is not a problem. On the question of population density, she made the point that no one considers Great Britain overcrowded, yet out of the 54 countries in Africa only 6 had a higher population density than GB. Of the rest, 30 countries do not even have 100 per square kilometer. Strategically, Africa’s large and growing population is a source of strength for them—and concern for us—unless we were to begin treating African countries as allies. Of course, we would first have to recognize them as equals, something I don’t think most political leaders outside the continent have ever bothered to do.
With reference to HIV/Aides, M. Ekeocha describes the ‘ABC’ program which resulted in a significant drop in Aides in Uganda over the years 1990-2001. ABC stands for the following:
Abstinence before marriage.
Be faithful in marriage or to one partner.
Condom use if A and B are impossible.
Unfortunately, the highly effective behavior-change approach suffered at the expense of the greater promotion of condoms and expensive antiviral drugs, both of which make money for the people who manufacture and distribute them. As a result, the AIDS rate was increasing again: In the fight against AIDS, profiteering has trumped prevention. AIDS is no longer simply a disease; it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The same is true for birth control pills, IUDs, abortion-inducing drugs, etc. The majority of westerners are not in Africa to “help” anyone. They have products to sell. And many of their ‘products’ have already been banned in Europe and America, where they have been shown to be dangerous, maiming women, causing sterility, paralysis and even death. Here women, or their families are at least able to sue manufactures—which is some compensation. African women and their families may never know and will certainly never receive compensation, and perhaps not even sufficient medical treatment.
On feminism, she points out that while Westerns claim to want to ‘elevate’ African women, their methods don’t actually address the areas and regions where the greatest problems exist, such as: the cultural practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, medical conditions, like vesicovaginal fistula, which can result from being raped or from giving birth at a young age. And women still do not enjoy the same full rights and privileges as men in certain communities, such as those where women still cannot inherit and own lands or property. First-wave feminism was mostly about property and voting rights—this is where most African women still have the greatest need. Whereas second-wave feminism has been about defining and asserting reproductive rights of women, including the right to sexual pleasure outside of marriage, contraception, no-fault divorce, and ultimately, abortion; traditionally-minded and family-oriented African women do not see any value for these so-called ‘rights’, see any need for them, nor do they desire them for themselves or their teenage daughters. Instead they are being forced to accept this kind of ‘help’ from greedy government officials who want Western monies and Western businessmen, philanthropists, among others who together comprise the new ideological colonialism of the continent.
On homosexuality, she writes:
‘During his 2013 visit to Senegal, United States President Barack Obama commented about the need to treat everyone as equals, especially in national policies and laws. He could have mentioned the women living in difficult circumstances across the continent or the plight of the poorest of the poor or the abhorrent caste systems or the deep racial and ethnic divides causing tension in many African countries. But, as serious as these problems are, it was very clear that President Obama had in mind only one issue—the normalization of the homosexual lifestyle in Africa.’She followed up his visit with a heartfelt letter which I have made available through my book highlights. The irony of the situation is palpable and her letter should be in every black child’s history textbook next to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The first (half)black United States President to come to Africa and does he offer black people help with what they really need? No! He comes to lecture them on behalf of something which goes against their way of life. How they must have felt betrayed. Many other black leaders at the time spoke out defending the African love of family as ‘one man-one woman’ and insisting that did not make them ‘homophobic’.
On colonial masters, she discusses how Western societies push our values through providing free contraception and abortion, and promoting our rights-based approach to sexuality, especially homosexuality in Africa through selected media such as CNN. Western societies seem not to want Africans to follow the successful responsibility-based approach to human sexuality even where they have shown it has been successful. Rather, Africans are supposed to insist on ‘rights’ they do not want which are causing the demise of Western societies. For Africa to have a promising future, it needs to push back on this flawed paradigm and on the Western influence that is spreading it.
Her chapter on Financial Aid Addiction is fantastic and should/could be read by anyone anywhere! It is universally applicable. She is not in favor of aid and believes her people would be better off without it. She believes in the power of education, but also recognizes that in order for educated young Africans to remain to better their own country they need political stability which they currently do not have—and is the role of African governments. Western powers who have stepped in with aide to help shore up African governments, assuming they can ‘help’ have also tried to wield control over many aspects of African life, including, sexual behavior and reproduction rates. Here she makes a priceless observation:
‘No doubt population control makes some sense from the point of view of the donor: supporting a smaller population costs less than supporting a larger one. And yet, if this way of thinking were extended to an act of personal charity, it would be considered outrageous. If my neighbors lost everything in a fire, and I included some condoms in a package of food and blankets I brought them, they would rightly be offended. So why is it acceptable for wealthy Westerners to send along contraceptives with their humanitarian aid after a hurricane or another natural disaster? Trying to stop people in the developing world from having children should be considered appalling, especially since doing so is not a development strategy. It is an invasion strategy, and that is the reason Africa must walk away from aid.EXCELLENT Book! Deserves 10 stars if I could give it! There are many other little surprises in here I was unable to mention because this review is already long enough. No, it is not a ‘fun’ book to read. But important. I would think it is an historic book too. No apologies for the length either.
August 10, 2018: I first heard about this book and Ms. Ekeocha on LifeSite News. I have been wanting to read her book ever since but keep putting it off for fun summer books. It is more than time to get back to serious reading especially in light of what has been happening to the Nigerian Christians .... The Christian Post is calling it Pure Genocide. Yes, Obianuju is Nigerian.
Reading in conjunction with God or Nothing.
Updated: July 27, 2020
May 30, 2018
Fascinating. I love this author, a well-spoken pro-life Nigerian woman. Her book is very readable and full of studies and footnotes to back up her assertions. Sad to see how wealthy westerners try to push promiscuity on Africans. Aid donors promise that legal abortion in Africa will decrease maternal mortality, but that has not proven to be true. In South Africa (after 20 years of legal abortion), maternal mortality remains higher than in other African countries that did not legalize abortion. Corruption is also rampant: billions of $$$ in “population ‘assistance’ has done little more than enrich those at the top of African society” (p. 173). Highly recommended for anyone who is concerned about Africa!
"(African) Women with little education and material wealth have embraced what the average (American woman) has refused to understand: that when sex and marriage and children are separated, promiscuity, divorce, abortion, prostitution, and pornography spread as never before." -p. 41
"There is no telling how many lives could be saved if even a fraction of the billions of dollars being spent by Western donors on contraception and abortion in Africa were directed toward improving the quality of obstetric care." -p. 105
"'Good societies can survive people doing immoral things. But a good society cannot survive if it calls immoral things moral.'" -Dennis Prager (re: abortion), p. 117
When Pres Obama visited Senegal, he ignored the big problems (extreme poverty, caste systems, ethnic divides) and instead tried to promote homosexuality. "Dear President Obama, ...No child (in any part of the world) deserves to be raised in a motherless or fatherless home, because it is almost always a vicious vortex of emotional trauma and turmoil... In some parts of Africa, we are still trying to outlaw odious practices such as female genital mutilation, so please don't try to persuade us to introduce yet another type of mutilation into our society. In many parts of Africa, we are still trying to recover from the deep wounds inflicted by the aberration of marriage that is polygamous marriage, so please don't tell us to take on yet another aberration of marriage -- same-sex marriage. In some other parts of Africa, we are still mourning and counting the graves of young people lost to AIDS-- a deadly disease rooted in widespread sexual depravity-- so please do not encourage our leaders to enact laws that will raise altars to even more sexual depravity... do not ask us to sacrifice the stability of our society at the altar of selfish sexual gratification." - pp. 123-24
"(M)any Western leaders have revealed themselves to be modern colonial masters, threatening to withdraw aid from countries such as Nigeria and Uganda unless they accept their global sexual agenda... the European Union dares to redefine morality and human rights for the rest of the world and to punish any country that disagrees with them." -p. 132, 135-6
An outrageous case of Western supremacy (from the UK) "is the anti-carbon campaign... that enables individuals and organizations to offset their carbon emissions by making online donations for contraception and sterilization in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia...even though the carbon emissions per capita in the United Kingdom is more than 135 times higher than that in Ethiopia. Go ahead, commandeer the world's resources and live self-indulgently,...so long as you prevent a poor African from being born." -p. 149
“At the heart of this ideological neocolonialism is Western hypocrisy. Britain and the United States are among the countries that spend the most to undermine African family life and to reduce African fertility, yet they became prosperous and powerful when their laws and policies encouraged the formation of stable, traditional families; their economic booms coincided with population growth. By pushing contraception, abortion, and homosexuality in Africa, Western societies seem not to want Africans to follow the successful responsibility-based approach to human sexuality. Rather, they seem to want Africans to imitate the rights-based approach to sexuality that is causing the demise of Western societies.” -p. 155
Open letter to mega-donor Melinda Gates: “I see this $4.6 billion buying us misery. I see it buying us unfaithful husbands. I see it buying us streets devoid of the innocent chatter of children. I see it buying us disease and untimely death. I see it buying us a retirement without the tender-loving care of our children. Please, Melinda, listen to the heart-felt cry of an African woman and mercifully channel your funds ot pay for what we really need:
Good healthcare systems (especially prenatal, neonatal, and pediatric care)...
Food programs for young children….
Good higher education opportunities…
Chastity programs…
Support for microbusiness opportunities for women
Fortify already established NGOs that are aimed at protecting women…” -pp. 200-02
Good summary of this book: "Since the end of colonization Africa has struggled with socio-economic and political problems. These challenges have attracted wealthy donors from Western nations and organizations that have assumed the roles of helper and deliverer. While some donors have good intentions, others seek to impose their ideology of sexual liberation. These are the ideological neocolonial masters of the twenty-first century who aggressively push their agenda of radical feminism, population control, sexualisation of children, and homosexuality.
"The author, a native of Nigeria, shows how these donors are masterful at exploiting some of the heaviest burdens and afflictions of Africa such as maternal mortality, unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS pandemic, child marriage, and persistent poverty. This exploitation has put many African nations in the vulnerable position of receiving funding tied firmly to ideological solutions that are opposed tothe cultural views and values of their people. Thus many African nations are put back into the protectorate positionsof dependency as new cultural standards conceived in the West are made into core policies in African capitals.
"This book reveals the recolonization of Africa that is rarely talked about. Drawing from a broad array of well-sourced materials and documents, it tells the story of foreign aid with strings attached, the story of Africa targeted and recolonized by wealthy, powerful donors." -Inside front cover
"(African) Women with little education and material wealth have embraced what the average (American woman) has refused to understand: that when sex and marriage and children are separated, promiscuity, divorce, abortion, prostitution, and pornography spread as never before." -p. 41
"There is no telling how many lives could be saved if even a fraction of the billions of dollars being spent by Western donors on contraception and abortion in Africa were directed toward improving the quality of obstetric care." -p. 105
"'Good societies can survive people doing immoral things. But a good society cannot survive if it calls immoral things moral.'" -Dennis Prager (re: abortion), p. 117
When Pres Obama visited Senegal, he ignored the big problems (extreme poverty, caste systems, ethnic divides) and instead tried to promote homosexuality. "Dear President Obama, ...No child (in any part of the world) deserves to be raised in a motherless or fatherless home, because it is almost always a vicious vortex of emotional trauma and turmoil... In some parts of Africa, we are still trying to outlaw odious practices such as female genital mutilation, so please don't try to persuade us to introduce yet another type of mutilation into our society. In many parts of Africa, we are still trying to recover from the deep wounds inflicted by the aberration of marriage that is polygamous marriage, so please don't tell us to take on yet another aberration of marriage -- same-sex marriage. In some other parts of Africa, we are still mourning and counting the graves of young people lost to AIDS-- a deadly disease rooted in widespread sexual depravity-- so please do not encourage our leaders to enact laws that will raise altars to even more sexual depravity... do not ask us to sacrifice the stability of our society at the altar of selfish sexual gratification." - pp. 123-24
"(M)any Western leaders have revealed themselves to be modern colonial masters, threatening to withdraw aid from countries such as Nigeria and Uganda unless they accept their global sexual agenda... the European Union dares to redefine morality and human rights for the rest of the world and to punish any country that disagrees with them." -p. 132, 135-6
An outrageous case of Western supremacy (from the UK) "is the anti-carbon campaign... that enables individuals and organizations to offset their carbon emissions by making online donations for contraception and sterilization in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia...even though the carbon emissions per capita in the United Kingdom is more than 135 times higher than that in Ethiopia. Go ahead, commandeer the world's resources and live self-indulgently,...so long as you prevent a poor African from being born." -p. 149
“At the heart of this ideological neocolonialism is Western hypocrisy. Britain and the United States are among the countries that spend the most to undermine African family life and to reduce African fertility, yet they became prosperous and powerful when their laws and policies encouraged the formation of stable, traditional families; their economic booms coincided with population growth. By pushing contraception, abortion, and homosexuality in Africa, Western societies seem not to want Africans to follow the successful responsibility-based approach to human sexuality. Rather, they seem to want Africans to imitate the rights-based approach to sexuality that is causing the demise of Western societies.” -p. 155
Open letter to mega-donor Melinda Gates: “I see this $4.6 billion buying us misery. I see it buying us unfaithful husbands. I see it buying us streets devoid of the innocent chatter of children. I see it buying us disease and untimely death. I see it buying us a retirement without the tender-loving care of our children. Please, Melinda, listen to the heart-felt cry of an African woman and mercifully channel your funds ot pay for what we really need:
Good healthcare systems (especially prenatal, neonatal, and pediatric care)...
Food programs for young children….
Good higher education opportunities…
Chastity programs…
Support for microbusiness opportunities for women
Fortify already established NGOs that are aimed at protecting women…” -pp. 200-02
Good summary of this book: "Since the end of colonization Africa has struggled with socio-economic and political problems. These challenges have attracted wealthy donors from Western nations and organizations that have assumed the roles of helper and deliverer. While some donors have good intentions, others seek to impose their ideology of sexual liberation. These are the ideological neocolonial masters of the twenty-first century who aggressively push their agenda of radical feminism, population control, sexualisation of children, and homosexuality.
"The author, a native of Nigeria, shows how these donors are masterful at exploiting some of the heaviest burdens and afflictions of Africa such as maternal mortality, unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS pandemic, child marriage, and persistent poverty. This exploitation has put many African nations in the vulnerable position of receiving funding tied firmly to ideological solutions that are opposed tothe cultural views and values of their people. Thus many African nations are put back into the protectorate positionsof dependency as new cultural standards conceived in the West are made into core policies in African capitals.
"This book reveals the recolonization of Africa that is rarely talked about. Drawing from a broad array of well-sourced materials and documents, it tells the story of foreign aid with strings attached, the story of Africa targeted and recolonized by wealthy, powerful donors." -Inside front cover
May 8, 2018
This book is a blatant facade that hides behind its abuse of how the "West" is viewed. 90% of this book pretended to have a point but somehow preceded to rotate back to the dull dull point that "abortion is sin". While I understand this is a touchy subject, the entirety of this book pretending to hide behind well thought out argument to simply imply that the West is bringing the impending doom to Africa got stale after the 50th time it was brought up by the author. I've never read such conservative trash and it makes me mad that I wasted my time reading such close-minded drivel.
March 31, 2020
It is a case of bad intentions creating bad results (surprise, surprise). Meet the new colonialists, same as the old colonialists, yada yada yada....
Obianuju Ekeocha has written an important book about how rich Western donors sometimes use aid to poor African nations to manipulate their leaders and enact unwanted policies that degrade Africans and their culture. These donors tend to view Africans as pets or mascots, ignorant children sorely in need of firm guidance from wiser Western heads. The only difference that I can see between the old and new colonialism is that government offices are not required to hang pictures of some European monarch.
I lived and taught in Tanzania for a number of years and personally witnessed some of what Ekeocha wrote about, so I know she speaks the truth. After finishing I gave this book to my wife, an intelligent beautiful black African lady born and raised in the same area I lived. I recommend giving a copy of this book to anyone who thinks NGOs that promote reproductive health care in foreign countries are doing good work. In Africa "reproductive health care" sponsored by Western NGOs all too often has one overriding goal: get rid of black babies.
Obianuju Ekeocha has written an important book about how rich Western donors sometimes use aid to poor African nations to manipulate their leaders and enact unwanted policies that degrade Africans and their culture. These donors tend to view Africans as pets or mascots, ignorant children sorely in need of firm guidance from wiser Western heads. The only difference that I can see between the old and new colonialism is that government offices are not required to hang pictures of some European monarch.
I lived and taught in Tanzania for a number of years and personally witnessed some of what Ekeocha wrote about, so I know she speaks the truth. After finishing I gave this book to my wife, an intelligent beautiful black African lady born and raised in the same area I lived. I recommend giving a copy of this book to anyone who thinks NGOs that promote reproductive health care in foreign countries are doing good work. In Africa "reproductive health care" sponsored by Western NGOs all too often has one overriding goal: get rid of black babies.
May 30, 2018
This is an excellent book, so clear and so challenging to our Western attitudes as we 'help' the people of Africa. Policies and attitudes need to change!
February 16, 2019
I saw this author speak at John Carroll recently and was very moved by her message. I am happy she will be at the University of Notre Dame next month so Molly can see her as well. The situations she describes in Africa with foreign ‘aid’ being poured in to fund contraception and abortion while other basic needs like clean water and education are not addressed is just disgusting. Donors like Bill and Melinda Gates are interested in population control but mask it as ‘women health’. Sadly, it flys in the face of the deeply pro-life culture of African citizens. My only hope is that Uju’s message is heard by as many people as possible so something can be done to turn the tide of this new form of colonialism.
January 29, 2019
An eye-opening, beautifully written, well-researched book. Ekeocha brings to light some disturbing trends in foreign aid to Africa - aid that often comes with strings attached that go against traditional African beliefs and values.
April 5, 2019
2.8./5.0
There is a difference between dogma and argument, and an even greater difference between dogma and good argument. Both logic and evidence must be present for an argument to not only be convincing but also sound, and that is where Target Africa undoubtedly falters, if not fails—argument does not match its passion. Ekeocha convinces us she believes in what she is saying, eyes, but does not convince us there is reason to join her.
Ekeocha is primarily culpable of using fact and theory to critique, while dubiously leaving out similar evidence when presenting her own solution. Take, for example, one of her core arguments: that population boom in poor countries—such as the countries in Africa—is not a liability or a “bomb” but a definite asset. Ekeocha begins her argument n critique, as she often does. The current ideology of population control is rooted in, what she argues, is an archaic model formulated by Malthus. She claims Malthus is wrong, and that Western powers have used this framework to subjugate African countries. And yet in doing so, she neither draws on theory nor fact to bolster her view. If Ekeocha is so convinced Malthus’ framework is wrong, why is she silent on presenting evidence as to why she believes so? Where are opposing theorists, demographers, economists who align with her statement, that more children within the context of poverty is a boon? It is only in dogma, in the human vitae, she finds an ally. And for a scientific book, this is wholly inadequate. Given this skeletal argument, it is no wonder we are skeptical when she suggests more births is what is needed, as they will be critical for building up Africa’s workforce, helping to boost Africans out of poverty.
Similar to her argument against population control is her staunch opposition to contraceptive availability and use in all of Africa. For Ekeocha, it is an indubitable fact that contraceptive use causes “social depravity”, which she defines as promiscuity, homosexuality, multiple partner sex and consequently the rise of HIV/AIDS. Setting aside the clearly religious undertones of such an argument, one must ask: where is the evidence, the scientific evidence, mind you, of such a belief? If such evidence exists—which is highly doubtful, as such a causal relationship is not only unlikely but impossible to prove—it is also wholly absent from her book. There is no mention of the fact that promiscuity and polygamy have long existed on the African continent, and that a record number of HIV/AIDS positive individuals are women—women, who, without contraceptives, have no recourse to protecting themselves from husbands who contract and share the disease. For a book that claims itself to be a voice for African experiences, such examples are sorely lacking. It seems, for Ekeocha, the voice of the Pope is worth more than the voices of African women.
This, in turn, leads into the next critique of Ekeocha’s work: the way in which Ekeocha presents “African culture”—and hence African beliefs, thoughts, and experiences—in her book. According to the author, African culture and tradition reject contraceptives, abortion, and other aspects of “sexual liberation”. This is an argument of spatial and historical conflation: the current beliefs and attitudes of some Africans are equated with all Africans and as having been so for all of time. Hence, Ekeocha takes a stance of cultural purism—to stray from “African belief”—as defined by Ekeocha, of course—
is to stray from being African. The simplest critique of this view is to remind Ekeocha that African culture is diverse and incredibly heterogeneous, at times conflicting, and also not perfect. In her conscious choice to point “African” culture as being only one entity, i.e. completely opposite to sexual liberation, Ekeocha silences the multitude of African voices that disagree with her. Similarly, Ekeocha supposes that what is “traditional” is also what is “right”, a moralistic conflation, once again, that stands in stark opposition to other African theorists such as Chimamanda, who argue that culture is constantly changing. If one argues for the preservation of cultural norms, it is a result of deliberate choice and an extension of power. And if this choice results in the harm of one’s people, it is the wrong choice. One must ask, then, why Ekeocha wishes to exercise her power as a leader in the pro-life community to construct African culture as one that rejects “sexual liberalism” into the present and future. Who gains, and who loses from this paradigm? One answer is African women who, Ekeocha admits, carry the heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS on the continent. They are, ultimately, the ones that lose, while misogynistic religious leaders (who are mostly men) win. It is hard to see how anything other than patriarchal dogma can persuade thinkers such as Ekeocha to push policies that ultimately damage their own African sisters.
But there is an additional argument against Ekeocha, and it is this: “sexual depravity” as Ekeocha calls it, which I would like to rename sexual freedom, has long existed in African countries, and as such can arguably be considered part of “African”—if not “human”—culture. Take abortion for example. There is a history of abortion in the continent of Africa as there has been in all areas of the world. Ghana, for example, was facing great difficulty due to a record number of women taking concoctions in an attempt to abort fetuses, and dying from hemorrhages as a result. Yes, Ghana is a country where abortion is taboo and the unborn are precious. Ghana is also a country where the poor, who are the vast majority, are living in abject poverty, where mothers seeing the lack of economic and social options for their families decide to make difficult decisions. It is not as Ekeocha portrays it; it is not a continent “pure” of abortion: it is already happening, has been happening, and is killing the women of West Africa and Africa as a whole because while there is “abortion”, there is no access to safe abortion. What are we to make of Ekeocha, then, when she says that the “people of Africa”, all of them, in one fell swoop, do not want abortion? Whose experiences are she ignoring, and why?
Even with a strangely thin evidence base for many key arguments, Target Africa is not without its merits. The book’s greatest contribution is the notion that sexual health policies in the continent of Africa are often a direct result of economic and political strong-arming by Western powers. That policies are value-laden and that foreign aid is an avenue for foreign manipulation are not new ideas. However, Ekeocha situates these ideas in a contemporary historical analysis that provides important insight into current policies and initiatives on the continent.
Overall, the book is a useful read, yet it is not as rooted in evidence as it purports to be. It is too quick to grasp at facts in surface-level critiques and ground itself predominately in conservative dogma. For a slim minority, Catholic dogma may be enough to make a series of policy recommendations seem steadfast. For the majority, it is a weak attempt at what the author herself critiques: ideological manipulation.
There is a difference between dogma and argument, and an even greater difference between dogma and good argument. Both logic and evidence must be present for an argument to not only be convincing but also sound, and that is where Target Africa undoubtedly falters, if not fails—argument does not match its passion. Ekeocha convinces us she believes in what she is saying, eyes, but does not convince us there is reason to join her.
Ekeocha is primarily culpable of using fact and theory to critique, while dubiously leaving out similar evidence when presenting her own solution. Take, for example, one of her core arguments: that population boom in poor countries—such as the countries in Africa—is not a liability or a “bomb” but a definite asset. Ekeocha begins her argument n critique, as she often does. The current ideology of population control is rooted in, what she argues, is an archaic model formulated by Malthus. She claims Malthus is wrong, and that Western powers have used this framework to subjugate African countries. And yet in doing so, she neither draws on theory nor fact to bolster her view. If Ekeocha is so convinced Malthus’ framework is wrong, why is she silent on presenting evidence as to why she believes so? Where are opposing theorists, demographers, economists who align with her statement, that more children within the context of poverty is a boon? It is only in dogma, in the human vitae, she finds an ally. And for a scientific book, this is wholly inadequate. Given this skeletal argument, it is no wonder we are skeptical when she suggests more births is what is needed, as they will be critical for building up Africa’s workforce, helping to boost Africans out of poverty.
Similar to her argument against population control is her staunch opposition to contraceptive availability and use in all of Africa. For Ekeocha, it is an indubitable fact that contraceptive use causes “social depravity”, which she defines as promiscuity, homosexuality, multiple partner sex and consequently the rise of HIV/AIDS. Setting aside the clearly religious undertones of such an argument, one must ask: where is the evidence, the scientific evidence, mind you, of such a belief? If such evidence exists—which is highly doubtful, as such a causal relationship is not only unlikely but impossible to prove—it is also wholly absent from her book. There is no mention of the fact that promiscuity and polygamy have long existed on the African continent, and that a record number of HIV/AIDS positive individuals are women—women, who, without contraceptives, have no recourse to protecting themselves from husbands who contract and share the disease. For a book that claims itself to be a voice for African experiences, such examples are sorely lacking. It seems, for Ekeocha, the voice of the Pope is worth more than the voices of African women.
This, in turn, leads into the next critique of Ekeocha’s work: the way in which Ekeocha presents “African culture”—and hence African beliefs, thoughts, and experiences—in her book. According to the author, African culture and tradition reject contraceptives, abortion, and other aspects of “sexual liberation”. This is an argument of spatial and historical conflation: the current beliefs and attitudes of some Africans are equated with all Africans and as having been so for all of time. Hence, Ekeocha takes a stance of cultural purism—to stray from “African belief”—as defined by Ekeocha, of course—
is to stray from being African. The simplest critique of this view is to remind Ekeocha that African culture is diverse and incredibly heterogeneous, at times conflicting, and also not perfect. In her conscious choice to point “African” culture as being only one entity, i.e. completely opposite to sexual liberation, Ekeocha silences the multitude of African voices that disagree with her. Similarly, Ekeocha supposes that what is “traditional” is also what is “right”, a moralistic conflation, once again, that stands in stark opposition to other African theorists such as Chimamanda, who argue that culture is constantly changing. If one argues for the preservation of cultural norms, it is a result of deliberate choice and an extension of power. And if this choice results in the harm of one’s people, it is the wrong choice. One must ask, then, why Ekeocha wishes to exercise her power as a leader in the pro-life community to construct African culture as one that rejects “sexual liberalism” into the present and future. Who gains, and who loses from this paradigm? One answer is African women who, Ekeocha admits, carry the heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS on the continent. They are, ultimately, the ones that lose, while misogynistic religious leaders (who are mostly men) win. It is hard to see how anything other than patriarchal dogma can persuade thinkers such as Ekeocha to push policies that ultimately damage their own African sisters.
But there is an additional argument against Ekeocha, and it is this: “sexual depravity” as Ekeocha calls it, which I would like to rename sexual freedom, has long existed in African countries, and as such can arguably be considered part of “African”—if not “human”—culture. Take abortion for example. There is a history of abortion in the continent of Africa as there has been in all areas of the world. Ghana, for example, was facing great difficulty due to a record number of women taking concoctions in an attempt to abort fetuses, and dying from hemorrhages as a result. Yes, Ghana is a country where abortion is taboo and the unborn are precious. Ghana is also a country where the poor, who are the vast majority, are living in abject poverty, where mothers seeing the lack of economic and social options for their families decide to make difficult decisions. It is not as Ekeocha portrays it; it is not a continent “pure” of abortion: it is already happening, has been happening, and is killing the women of West Africa and Africa as a whole because while there is “abortion”, there is no access to safe abortion. What are we to make of Ekeocha, then, when she says that the “people of Africa”, all of them, in one fell swoop, do not want abortion? Whose experiences are she ignoring, and why?
Even with a strangely thin evidence base for many key arguments, Target Africa is not without its merits. The book’s greatest contribution is the notion that sexual health policies in the continent of Africa are often a direct result of economic and political strong-arming by Western powers. That policies are value-laden and that foreign aid is an avenue for foreign manipulation are not new ideas. However, Ekeocha situates these ideas in a contemporary historical analysis that provides important insight into current policies and initiatives on the continent.
Overall, the book is a useful read, yet it is not as rooted in evidence as it purports to be. It is too quick to grasp at facts in surface-level critiques and ground itself predominately in conservative dogma. For a slim minority, Catholic dogma may be enough to make a series of policy recommendations seem steadfast. For the majority, it is a weak attempt at what the author herself critiques: ideological manipulation.
July 18, 2020
A Nigerian woman explains how the West is guilty of neocolonialism through aid that comes with strings attached. She pleads with the West that if they want to help, they should redirect their aid to actual problems in Africa instead of patronizingly funding corrupt governments in exchange for the opportunity to inject their ideologies and agendas (which are demonstrably harmful to African societies). If you are interested in understanding neocolonialism, the leftist global population-control agenda, or the feelings of African societies towards these topics, I would highly recommend this book.
March 22, 2021
As an evangelical in North America, I often lament the trends toward secularizaton and the liberalizing of sexual morality in my nation. As church property is sold to be converted into housing, as I learn a new pronoun every hour (which quickly becomes obsolete due to gender-fluidity), as I grieve the tens of thousands of abortions each year performed in Canada (approximately 85,000 in 2018), I have looked to the Majority World with hopeful admiration - the future of Christianity no longer seems to be in the West but in Brazil, China, and Africa. Yet Nigerian activist Obianuju Ekeocha presents a troubling narrative of African countries being manipulated by the "ideological neocolonialism" of Western liberals, particularly in matters relating to the sanctity of life, gender, and sexuality. Many of Africa's leadership are enticed by foreign aid to modify their laws to loosen restrictions on abortion and liberalize sexuality laws in exchange for funding (though having said that, I definitely don't want people to be put to DEATH for their sexual acts). In a clever rhetorical move, Ekeocha reprimands the West for once again invading and interfering in African affairs, even as they decry the cruel legacy of colonialism that their ancestors once inflicted on the continent. Ekeocha recommends advancing education to lift Africans out of poverty and for African countries to become independent of foreign aid. Her passion and conviction stand out.
I believe that the author and I would have much more in common than what separates us, one of which is a shared faith. Having said that, at times I felt that Ekeocha relied a bit too much on generalizations (at least without giving enough evidence), as she tended to present Africans as one homogenous group with universal values and mores that affirmed the sanctity of life, the blessing of children, strong and stable families, etc...I think these are all GOOD things but on a continent with so many different peoples, languages, beliefs, and customs, I wonder if as many Africans hold to traditional beliefs as Ekeocha claims (I also wonder if these beliefs PRECEDED Christianity in Africa or if they are now widespread DUE to Christianity; Ekeocha's detractors would likely say Christianity was simply an earlier ideological neocolonizing force though Thomas C. Oden and others have pointed out how Africa shaped the Christian mind from the very beginning and the area that is present-day Ethiopia has been Christian since the 300s. As one negative reviewer noted, the book does tend to keep cycling back to abortion in every chapter yet Ekeocha is right to criticize Western philanthropists and organizations like Planned Parenthood for pushing abortion as if that were the solution to all of Africa's problems.
This book is published by Ignatius Press and while I am not sure if Ekeocha is Roman Catholic, one place I would diverge from her is on the distribution and use of condoms. It is fuddy-duddy to champion abstinence as an effective defence against HIV/AIDS and other STDs but I affirm the traditional Christian teaching that sex is to be enjoyed between a man and a woman in a lifelong marriage covenant. Having said that, I see no biblical reason to prohibit the use of condoms and if believers fall away from practicing the Christian sexual ethic, at least condoms would provide SOME means of defence regarding sexual health. Though I think the Bible does not prohibit the use of condoms, I also believe that Western organizations need to respect the fact that millions of Africans ARE faithful Catholics who will refuse to use condoms because it goes against Roman Catholic teaching; to truly respect these Africans, Western organizations need to invest in and propose alternative programs that will encourage healthy sexual practice.
"Target Africa: Ideological Neocolonialism in the Twenty-First Century" is an eye-opening book, worthy of wide readership, though at times it gets repetitive. Still, Ekeocha (a biomedical scientist) provides a good diagnosis as to the causes of Africa's ideological neocolonialist infection and gestures towards treatments to heal her land in the form of education and reducing foreign aid. But it is not just secular liberal organizations that Africans need to resist. Ekeocha's book matches the bold spirit and conviction of the African United Methodist theologian Jerry Kulah. At the fractious 2019 UMC synod, Dr. Kulah gave an impassioned speech (the transcript of which can be found here) in which he declared:
"And then please hear me when I say as graciously as I can: we Africans are not children in need of western enlightenment when it comes to the church’s sexual ethics. We do not need to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to 'grow up.' Let me assure you, we Africans, whether we have liked it or not, have had to engage in this debate for many years now. We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal, church elite, in the U.S...Unfortunately, some United Methodists in the U.S. have the very faulty assumption that all Africans are concerned about is U.S. financial support. Well, I am sure, being sinners like all of you, some Africans are fixated on money. But with all due respect, a fixation on money seems more of an American problem than an African one. We get by on far less than most Americans do; we know how to do it. I’m not so sure you do. So if anyone is so naïve or condescending as to think we would sell our birth right in Jesus Christ for American dollars, then they simply do not know us. We are seriously joyful in following Jesus Christ and God’s holy word to us in the Bible. And in truth, we think many people in the U.S. and in parts of Europe could learn a great deal from us. The UM churches, pastors and lay people who partner with us acknowledge as much. Please understand me when I say the vast majority of African United Methodists will never, ever trade Jesus and the truth of the Bible for money."
Self-autonomy is one of the most prized values of Western liberals - "my body, my choice." If Western liberals truly want to abide by their own self-declared values, they will heed Obianuju Ekeocha's words and cease their ideological neocolonialist agenda in Africa.
I believe that the author and I would have much more in common than what separates us, one of which is a shared faith. Having said that, at times I felt that Ekeocha relied a bit too much on generalizations (at least without giving enough evidence), as she tended to present Africans as one homogenous group with universal values and mores that affirmed the sanctity of life, the blessing of children, strong and stable families, etc...I think these are all GOOD things but on a continent with so many different peoples, languages, beliefs, and customs, I wonder if as many Africans hold to traditional beliefs as Ekeocha claims (I also wonder if these beliefs PRECEDED Christianity in Africa or if they are now widespread DUE to Christianity; Ekeocha's detractors would likely say Christianity was simply an earlier ideological neocolonizing force though Thomas C. Oden and others have pointed out how Africa shaped the Christian mind from the very beginning and the area that is present-day Ethiopia has been Christian since the 300s. As one negative reviewer noted, the book does tend to keep cycling back to abortion in every chapter yet Ekeocha is right to criticize Western philanthropists and organizations like Planned Parenthood for pushing abortion as if that were the solution to all of Africa's problems.
This book is published by Ignatius Press and while I am not sure if Ekeocha is Roman Catholic, one place I would diverge from her is on the distribution and use of condoms. It is fuddy-duddy to champion abstinence as an effective defence against HIV/AIDS and other STDs but I affirm the traditional Christian teaching that sex is to be enjoyed between a man and a woman in a lifelong marriage covenant. Having said that, I see no biblical reason to prohibit the use of condoms and if believers fall away from practicing the Christian sexual ethic, at least condoms would provide SOME means of defence regarding sexual health. Though I think the Bible does not prohibit the use of condoms, I also believe that Western organizations need to respect the fact that millions of Africans ARE faithful Catholics who will refuse to use condoms because it goes against Roman Catholic teaching; to truly respect these Africans, Western organizations need to invest in and propose alternative programs that will encourage healthy sexual practice.
"Target Africa: Ideological Neocolonialism in the Twenty-First Century" is an eye-opening book, worthy of wide readership, though at times it gets repetitive. Still, Ekeocha (a biomedical scientist) provides a good diagnosis as to the causes of Africa's ideological neocolonialist infection and gestures towards treatments to heal her land in the form of education and reducing foreign aid. But it is not just secular liberal organizations that Africans need to resist. Ekeocha's book matches the bold spirit and conviction of the African United Methodist theologian Jerry Kulah. At the fractious 2019 UMC synod, Dr. Kulah gave an impassioned speech (the transcript of which can be found here) in which he declared:
"And then please hear me when I say as graciously as I can: we Africans are not children in need of western enlightenment when it comes to the church’s sexual ethics. We do not need to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to 'grow up.' Let me assure you, we Africans, whether we have liked it or not, have had to engage in this debate for many years now. We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal, church elite, in the U.S...Unfortunately, some United Methodists in the U.S. have the very faulty assumption that all Africans are concerned about is U.S. financial support. Well, I am sure, being sinners like all of you, some Africans are fixated on money. But with all due respect, a fixation on money seems more of an American problem than an African one. We get by on far less than most Americans do; we know how to do it. I’m not so sure you do. So if anyone is so naïve or condescending as to think we would sell our birth right in Jesus Christ for American dollars, then they simply do not know us. We are seriously joyful in following Jesus Christ and God’s holy word to us in the Bible. And in truth, we think many people in the U.S. and in parts of Europe could learn a great deal from us. The UM churches, pastors and lay people who partner with us acknowledge as much. Please understand me when I say the vast majority of African United Methodists will never, ever trade Jesus and the truth of the Bible for money."
Self-autonomy is one of the most prized values of Western liberals - "my body, my choice." If Western liberals truly want to abide by their own self-declared values, they will heed Obianuju Ekeocha's words and cease their ideological neocolonialist agenda in Africa.
June 21, 2020
Clearly The Western World Has An Agenda
Ekeocha is brilliant as she pleads for her fellow Nigerians, and all the fellow member states of Africa, to join her in standing together by their own principles, and resist the "Western Agenda" (my term). Logical, researched, and never once resorting to emotionalism or religious bias, the author shows how Africans - the term she uses - have a strong sense of what they believe is right and wrong, and they resolutely live their lives by it. It is the Western world, with it's literal BILLIONS in aid money, that has attempted to subvert their values and lives. Only Africa can stand up and reject the Western Agenda, and Ekoecha's masterpiece is at once a heartfelt plea for that to happen, and a warning to the West that she knows what game they are playing.
Ekeocha is brilliant as she pleads for her fellow Nigerians, and all the fellow member states of Africa, to join her in standing together by their own principles, and resist the "Western Agenda" (my term). Logical, researched, and never once resorting to emotionalism or religious bias, the author shows how Africans - the term she uses - have a strong sense of what they believe is right and wrong, and they resolutely live their lives by it. It is the Western world, with it's literal BILLIONS in aid money, that has attempted to subvert their values and lives. Only Africa can stand up and reject the Western Agenda, and Ekoecha's masterpiece is at once a heartfelt plea for that to happen, and a warning to the West that she knows what game they are playing.
November 17, 2020
Chapter 1: I totally disagree that the availability of contraceptives leads to promiscuity- promiscuous behaviour has been present in society since the ancient egyptians at least. Birth control allows women to pursue serious of fleeting (depending on their personal preference) relationships with a physical aspect even before they are ready for children or before they want to close the door to opportunities that require too much time to pursue at the sime time as being a sole child rearer. However, I did think her point about the West wanting to solve Africas problems through contraception only and not through investing in infrastructure that creates opportunities for women was highly interesting. It is true that contraception can help a woman make the most of her opportunities, but if there are no opportunities available, then having children at any given time does not interfere.
Chapter 2: It is really interesting to think about how contraception is being pushed onto Africa without much thought for the social structures that exists there. One cannot go somewhere and assume to help using ones own framework. The framework must be adapted to the local community. However the author is very judgemental regarding sexuality, which is ironic given her message is that a western standard should not be forced on Africa. Most of the time while reading, I found myself thinking - interesting point.... wrong conclusion!
Many of the issues raised, such as how Feminist brochures distributed do not mention FGM or child marriage, that are problems in parts of Africa, do hold a first world privilege to the realities many women face. But her conclusion to this is wrong. This does not mean that it is wrong to strive for sexual freedom and autonomy of body and life choices, but that it is naive to think that this message must not come second to that of remove practices such as FGM and child marriages. The author is too judgemental.
What was highlighted to me from reading this is the fundamental point the author does not make: the differences in individualistic and clan based societies. One is not better than the other but they are different. In an individualist society people have more personal responsibility for themselves and only themselves and thus contraception and abortion are the tools to female choice, but in clanish societies it is more normal to conform to the group and also for the group to support you, therefore such individualist society options may not be needed.
This is the kind of rare book that i almost totally disagree with and yet reading it was educational and helped me/forced me to articulate my arguments more and cemented the fact that some of the things that work in the western society will not work in Africa and vice versa and this does not mean one is inferior. The West needs to listen to how African Countries want to be helped and give aid and knowledge accordingly rather than assume western standards will solve everything. We need to prioritise the types of assistance African countries are sating they need, for example blood transfusion infrastructure instead of legal abortion. Both of these have the same end; to lower the death of mothers and would be mothers, but one is the solution the west uses and the other is the solution African countries would like to use (according to te research cited in this book). Having said that, I do think Women need to have control over their bodies and tha all people of any sexual orientation deserve the human rights we all do. The chapter about homosexuality really offended me. I thought it was terrible that the author thought that not accepting homosexual behaviour does not necessarily mean you are homophobic- that is literally what phobic means. The author is a too judgemental in her vilaneous word choice and does not understand how objective conclusions are made from facts.
Chapter 2: It is really interesting to think about how contraception is being pushed onto Africa without much thought for the social structures that exists there. One cannot go somewhere and assume to help using ones own framework. The framework must be adapted to the local community. However the author is very judgemental regarding sexuality, which is ironic given her message is that a western standard should not be forced on Africa. Most of the time while reading, I found myself thinking - interesting point.... wrong conclusion!
Many of the issues raised, such as how Feminist brochures distributed do not mention FGM or child marriage, that are problems in parts of Africa, do hold a first world privilege to the realities many women face. But her conclusion to this is wrong. This does not mean that it is wrong to strive for sexual freedom and autonomy of body and life choices, but that it is naive to think that this message must not come second to that of remove practices such as FGM and child marriages. The author is too judgemental.
What was highlighted to me from reading this is the fundamental point the author does not make: the differences in individualistic and clan based societies. One is not better than the other but they are different. In an individualist society people have more personal responsibility for themselves and only themselves and thus contraception and abortion are the tools to female choice, but in clanish societies it is more normal to conform to the group and also for the group to support you, therefore such individualist society options may not be needed.
This is the kind of rare book that i almost totally disagree with and yet reading it was educational and helped me/forced me to articulate my arguments more and cemented the fact that some of the things that work in the western society will not work in Africa and vice versa and this does not mean one is inferior. The West needs to listen to how African Countries want to be helped and give aid and knowledge accordingly rather than assume western standards will solve everything. We need to prioritise the types of assistance African countries are sating they need, for example blood transfusion infrastructure instead of legal abortion. Both of these have the same end; to lower the death of mothers and would be mothers, but one is the solution the west uses and the other is the solution African countries would like to use (according to te research cited in this book). Having said that, I do think Women need to have control over their bodies and tha all people of any sexual orientation deserve the human rights we all do. The chapter about homosexuality really offended me. I thought it was terrible that the author thought that not accepting homosexual behaviour does not necessarily mean you are homophobic- that is literally what phobic means. The author is a too judgemental in her vilaneous word choice and does not understand how objective conclusions are made from facts.
December 15, 2018
Excellent book, readable and well researched. From the book "If Africa is to protect itself from the social breakdown taking place in the West, which the West is intent on exporting to us, it must stand up for marriage and for children, who are the future of the continent."
June 11, 2018
Challenging, well researched, and passionately written. I hope Obianuju Ekeocha writes more soon.
November 28, 2021
This book is very eye opening to how organizations are influencing countries around the world. The author provides reliable information and sources for everything presented in the book. She also does a good job of providing solutions to the new form of colonisation that she is observing with in her home nation and nations around it.
February 24, 2021
Ekeocha makes the point that despite Africa receiving about $400 billion of aid from the developed world in the first forty years of independence, about six times what the United States pumped into the reconstruction of Western Europe after World War II, the economic well-being of Africans has not improved. On the contrary, the per capita GDP of Africans south of the Sahara declined at an average annual rate of 0.59 percent between 1975 and 2000. Africa receives $50 billion from Western donors every year at present. However, corruption is rampant among its leaders and the illicit financial outflows far exceeds the official aid and development inflows. Ekeocha asks the reasonable question, "But is it not possible that donors do not care so much about African corruption so long as they get what they really want out of the bargain? Their willingness to give money to corrupt leaders may be matched by the willingness of these leaders to allow a new, ideological colonization of the African people."
It seems that the pattern of Western donors parallels the divide and new class struggle in the United States, and more broadly in the West. We have a managerial overclass whose rule increasingly should not be described as democratic in any meaningful sense. Not only do they impose their will on the majority and disregard majority views in the United States, they also are imposing their will by utilizing the corruption of African leaders to forward their population control plans in Africa by letting them use their massive donor funds without accountability so long as they let them impose their sexual revolution programs on the recalcitrant African peoples against their deep set cultural beliefs. Western donors appear to be bankrolling decadence like that of the gaudy depraved in the Hunger Games. They think their population control programs are the best way to fight poverty, but this looks like a gross misapplication of funds when one considers how much could have been done with such funds to provide clean water and other basic needs to Africans, rather than trying to make them sterile like the dying West.
Ekeocha points to the Mexico City policy of the United State, which required NGOs receiving American funding to agree that they would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations, as a good example showing how the political priorities of Western governments, and therefore the projects they fund through these agencies, are determined by the current ideological bent of their leaders. She notes that the since 1984 the policy has been instated by every Republican president and removed by every Democratic president. Democratic leaders oppose the Mexico City Policy despite a majority of Democrats apparently being against federal funding of overseas abortions. According to a comprehensive Knights of Columbus- Marist poll released in January 2017, 83 percent of those surveyed said they opposed such funding. Most revealing about this poll was that 70 percent of the respondents who identified as pro-choice or Democrat said they opposed the use of tax dollars to pay for abortions in other countries. Ekeocha reasonably concludes, "Given that a significant proportion of Americans are against funding abortions overseas and that many people in the developing world do not want foreign funding for abortions in their countries, the Mexico City Policy is reasonable; but these commonsense considerations have never stopped pro-abortion presidents from promoting and exporting their worldview under the labels of 'women's healthcare', 'international development', and 'humanitarian aid.'" (pg. 146). I would further add that it seems to indicate that Democratic bent favors the "managerial elite", using the phrase Michael Lind uses in his book The New Class War. The managerial elite have been winning the class war and the divide is growing ever wider.
--
There is something morally ugly about offering boatloads of contraception to women suffering from a high maternal mortality rate and lack of access to clean water, etc. It smacks of "mean girl" logic. When logic gets detached from the Good, it becomes repugnant or, frankly, evil.
"In 2012 I stumbled upon Melinda Gates' plan to collect pledges for almost $5 billion to ensure that the African woman would be less fertile, less encumbered, and, yes, more 'liberated'. With her incredible wealth she wanted to replace the legacy of an African woman (which is her child) with the legacy of 'child-free sex'. I was so outraged that I wrote a public letter to Melinda Gates, which went viral on the Internet and is not posted on the webpage of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity…
And, of course, there are bound to be inconsistencies and failures in the use of these drugs and devices, so naturally, there will be many more unplanned pregnancies as well. How convenient, then, that the West has been pressuring African governments to loosen their abortion laws.
As if this were not enough, I sadly realized that the pro-contraceptive media blitz that will accompany these drugs and devices will not tell Africans the whole truth about them. They will not be told about failure rates, adverse side effects, and the increased risks of cancer and heart disease. They will not be told that promiscuity itself is the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases, which hormonal contraceptives such as the pill and the patch do nothing to prevent [especially given that the pill is a type 1 carcinogen]. Given that women in Western societies are left in the dark about these things, the chances that African women will be respected enough to be given these facts are rather slim. But unlike most Western women, African women tend not to have regular doctor visits; if African women suffer from negative consequences of contraceptive use, they will suffer from them without follow-up care.
In short, I concluded in my letter to Melinda Gates, I saw her billions of dollars as buying Africans not the real health care they need but only misery. Needless to say, my letter did nothing to stop the Gates Foundation's full-speed-ahead push for contraceptives.
…the availability of contraception does not necessarily mean that a country has adequate maternity care. What African nations need is not a massive infusion of contraceptives into their communities but a renewed commitment to building up the various branches of the dilapidated healthcare systems across the continent." -Ekeocha Obianuju
…as of 2014 Western donor nations and organizations had contributed more than 102 million injectable contraceptives, and 50 percent of them had been given to African countries.
An example of the injectable-birth-control trend is the agreement between Pfizer Inc., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation to expand access to Pfizer's injectable contraceptive, Sayana Press, for women in the world's poorest countries…
How does practically sterilizing the poorest women in the world give them control over famine, draught, disease, and poverty? It does not make them more educated or more employable. It does not provide food or safe drinking water. It does not make African women happier or more satisfied in their marriages. No. This extensive contraception project will only make them sterile at the cheapest rate possible. This is certainly not what we African women have asked for. It is not the help that our hearts crave amidst the trials and difficulties of Africa. But in a world of shocking cultural imperialism, it is what our 'betters' have chosen for us.
What makes the massive exportation of injectable contraception downright insidious is that while it is being pushed on African women, it is being questioned in the developed world after having been shown in various studies to carry dangerous and even lethal side effects….The push for use of DMPA in Africa proves that the Western proponents of population control willfully ignore the glaring reality of the hazardous side effects of contraceptives so that they can impose their views and their dangerous products on Africans. In their campaign, conference, and summit speeches, I have never heard any serious mention of these side effects or of the inadequacy of healthcare systems in Africa to deal with the health problems that are sure to follow widespread use of injectable contraceptives. The insistence on reducing the population of Africa, no matter what the cost to the Africans themselves, is racism, imperialism, and colonialism disguised as philanthropy."
-Ekeocha Obianuju, Target Africa
It seems that the pattern of Western donors parallels the divide and new class struggle in the United States, and more broadly in the West. We have a managerial overclass whose rule increasingly should not be described as democratic in any meaningful sense. Not only do they impose their will on the majority and disregard majority views in the United States, they also are imposing their will by utilizing the corruption of African leaders to forward their population control plans in Africa by letting them use their massive donor funds without accountability so long as they let them impose their sexual revolution programs on the recalcitrant African peoples against their deep set cultural beliefs. Western donors appear to be bankrolling decadence like that of the gaudy depraved in the Hunger Games. They think their population control programs are the best way to fight poverty, but this looks like a gross misapplication of funds when one considers how much could have been done with such funds to provide clean water and other basic needs to Africans, rather than trying to make them sterile like the dying West.
Ekeocha points to the Mexico City policy of the United State, which required NGOs receiving American funding to agree that they would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations, as a good example showing how the political priorities of Western governments, and therefore the projects they fund through these agencies, are determined by the current ideological bent of their leaders. She notes that the since 1984 the policy has been instated by every Republican president and removed by every Democratic president. Democratic leaders oppose the Mexico City Policy despite a majority of Democrats apparently being against federal funding of overseas abortions. According to a comprehensive Knights of Columbus- Marist poll released in January 2017, 83 percent of those surveyed said they opposed such funding. Most revealing about this poll was that 70 percent of the respondents who identified as pro-choice or Democrat said they opposed the use of tax dollars to pay for abortions in other countries. Ekeocha reasonably concludes, "Given that a significant proportion of Americans are against funding abortions overseas and that many people in the developing world do not want foreign funding for abortions in their countries, the Mexico City Policy is reasonable; but these commonsense considerations have never stopped pro-abortion presidents from promoting and exporting their worldview under the labels of 'women's healthcare', 'international development', and 'humanitarian aid.'" (pg. 146). I would further add that it seems to indicate that Democratic bent favors the "managerial elite", using the phrase Michael Lind uses in his book The New Class War. The managerial elite have been winning the class war and the divide is growing ever wider.
--
There is something morally ugly about offering boatloads of contraception to women suffering from a high maternal mortality rate and lack of access to clean water, etc. It smacks of "mean girl" logic. When logic gets detached from the Good, it becomes repugnant or, frankly, evil.
"In 2012 I stumbled upon Melinda Gates' plan to collect pledges for almost $5 billion to ensure that the African woman would be less fertile, less encumbered, and, yes, more 'liberated'. With her incredible wealth she wanted to replace the legacy of an African woman (which is her child) with the legacy of 'child-free sex'. I was so outraged that I wrote a public letter to Melinda Gates, which went viral on the Internet and is not posted on the webpage of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity…
And, of course, there are bound to be inconsistencies and failures in the use of these drugs and devices, so naturally, there will be many more unplanned pregnancies as well. How convenient, then, that the West has been pressuring African governments to loosen their abortion laws.
As if this were not enough, I sadly realized that the pro-contraceptive media blitz that will accompany these drugs and devices will not tell Africans the whole truth about them. They will not be told about failure rates, adverse side effects, and the increased risks of cancer and heart disease. They will not be told that promiscuity itself is the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases, which hormonal contraceptives such as the pill and the patch do nothing to prevent [especially given that the pill is a type 1 carcinogen]. Given that women in Western societies are left in the dark about these things, the chances that African women will be respected enough to be given these facts are rather slim. But unlike most Western women, African women tend not to have regular doctor visits; if African women suffer from negative consequences of contraceptive use, they will suffer from them without follow-up care.
In short, I concluded in my letter to Melinda Gates, I saw her billions of dollars as buying Africans not the real health care they need but only misery. Needless to say, my letter did nothing to stop the Gates Foundation's full-speed-ahead push for contraceptives.
…the availability of contraception does not necessarily mean that a country has adequate maternity care. What African nations need is not a massive infusion of contraceptives into their communities but a renewed commitment to building up the various branches of the dilapidated healthcare systems across the continent." -Ekeocha Obianuju
…as of 2014 Western donor nations and organizations had contributed more than 102 million injectable contraceptives, and 50 percent of them had been given to African countries.
An example of the injectable-birth-control trend is the agreement between Pfizer Inc., the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation to expand access to Pfizer's injectable contraceptive, Sayana Press, for women in the world's poorest countries…
How does practically sterilizing the poorest women in the world give them control over famine, draught, disease, and poverty? It does not make them more educated or more employable. It does not provide food or safe drinking water. It does not make African women happier or more satisfied in their marriages. No. This extensive contraception project will only make them sterile at the cheapest rate possible. This is certainly not what we African women have asked for. It is not the help that our hearts crave amidst the trials and difficulties of Africa. But in a world of shocking cultural imperialism, it is what our 'betters' have chosen for us.
What makes the massive exportation of injectable contraception downright insidious is that while it is being pushed on African women, it is being questioned in the developed world after having been shown in various studies to carry dangerous and even lethal side effects….The push for use of DMPA in Africa proves that the Western proponents of population control willfully ignore the glaring reality of the hazardous side effects of contraceptives so that they can impose their views and their dangerous products on Africans. In their campaign, conference, and summit speeches, I have never heard any serious mention of these side effects or of the inadequacy of healthcare systems in Africa to deal with the health problems that are sure to follow widespread use of injectable contraceptives. The insistence on reducing the population of Africa, no matter what the cost to the Africans themselves, is racism, imperialism, and colonialism disguised as philanthropy."
-Ekeocha Obianuju, Target Africa
June 29, 2025
This is likely an unpopular message in the West, but that doesn't make it untrue or unworthy of being heard. The more things change, the more they stay the same. For all of the claptrap about anti-colonialism on American college campuses, colonialism marches on with the arrogant presumption that the West knows better than everyone else. (Btw, we see it happening agriculturally with Bayer and India, too, but that is another story.)
July 1, 2025
An eye-opening read.
September 9, 2018
Target Africa was referenced in an article I read (I don’t remember which one – I read so many and I possess minimal retention skills). The title caught my attention and I placed it in the back of my mind as a book to read when I was in the mood for heavy, serious reading. The mood came to me one day and I headed to Amazon. Obianuju Ekeocha is a smart lady. From page one, the reader understands Ekeocha is passionate about her beliefs and cares deeply for the future of Africa. She is very well-researched in the topics she discusses as she cites statistics, resources and personal experiences that support her writing. This was such an eye-opening, significant read for me that I recommend it to everyone. While her focus is on Africa and the negative consequences of decadent Western ideologies that are being bullied into African cultures, it can be applied to any country who wishes to prosper economically and morally as a free nation. Below are three paragraphs from the book. The first two are found in Ekeocha’s introduction and the third one is the last paragraph of the last chapter. I think they sum up her book quite well and all the words in between are profound and worth reading.
Africans by and large believe that sex is sacred, that human life is precious from womb to tomb, that children are blessings, that motherhood is desirable, and that marriage between man and woman is life-generating. These are the basic family values that our parents and grandparents transmitted to us. They are embedded in our customs, enshrined in our laws, and even encoded in our native languages. To take them away from us amounts to invasion, occupation, annexation, and colonization of our people. (p.29)
There is a new colonialism in our time – not of lands or of natural resources but of the heart, mind, and soul of Africa. It is an ideological colonialism. (p.29)
If Africa is to protect itself from the social breakdown taking place in the West, which the West is intent on exporting to us, it must stand up for marriage and for children, who are the future of the continent. The corrupting influence of aid from sex-obsessed nations and organizations must be curtailed by building our countries on a firm foundation of good schools that develop not just minds but also character, market economies that free up trade and resources for the benefit of all, and accountable leaders who respect the culture of their people more than the opinion of wealthy donors. We must resist the new ideological colonizers before they rob us of our very selves. (pp.. 192-193)
Africans by and large believe that sex is sacred, that human life is precious from womb to tomb, that children are blessings, that motherhood is desirable, and that marriage between man and woman is life-generating. These are the basic family values that our parents and grandparents transmitted to us. They are embedded in our customs, enshrined in our laws, and even encoded in our native languages. To take them away from us amounts to invasion, occupation, annexation, and colonization of our people. (p.29)
There is a new colonialism in our time – not of lands or of natural resources but of the heart, mind, and soul of Africa. It is an ideological colonialism. (p.29)
If Africa is to protect itself from the social breakdown taking place in the West, which the West is intent on exporting to us, it must stand up for marriage and for children, who are the future of the continent. The corrupting influence of aid from sex-obsessed nations and organizations must be curtailed by building our countries on a firm foundation of good schools that develop not just minds but also character, market economies that free up trade and resources for the benefit of all, and accountable leaders who respect the culture of their people more than the opinion of wealthy donors. We must resist the new ideological colonizers before they rob us of our very selves. (pp.. 192-193)
August 18, 2020
A Must Read for the world to begin to understand Africa
Fantastic book; for a very long time I have felt that all we in the West know (or believe) about Africa is poverty and incredible wildlife. I saw and heard a video with Obianuju Ekeocha and was captivated. From one video I had learned more about Africa than I'd ever learned elsewhere. I then bought her book, and it's amazing. Uju details the values that have been part of Africa for many generations, including large loving families, the sacred beauty of babies, the fact that sex is sacred. But Africa is under attack from a new wave of colonialism. Bill and Melinda Gates, along with numerous western agencies, have been dedicated to making donations With Strings Attached, with vaccines that have killed and maimed many, with an unwanted push for contraception without decent medical followup. Western donors have created a culture of leaders who accept financial aid but then feel obliged to accept western ideas that run contrary to core African beliefs and practices. The book deals with some difficult issues, including the idea that, in order to grow and thrive, African leaders need to consider turning down Aid that is harmful. The book opened my eyes and heart to the real beauty of Africa, not just to wildlife, to their deeply held beliefs, to their desire not to be invaded by money and ideas that do not fit in with the African people. There are a great deal of facts that in this great book that I cannot do justice to in any fairly brief note. For once in my life I have a sense about Africa that has changed my understanding of it in more than a news soundbyte kind of way. Through the eyes, heart, and mind of Obianuju I have gotten a taste of the the life, hopes, ideals, and struggles of the many African peoples. I highly recommend this book to YOU.
Fantastic book; for a very long time I have felt that all we in the West know (or believe) about Africa is poverty and incredible wildlife. I saw and heard a video with Obianuju Ekeocha and was captivated. From one video I had learned more about Africa than I'd ever learned elsewhere. I then bought her book, and it's amazing. Uju details the values that have been part of Africa for many generations, including large loving families, the sacred beauty of babies, the fact that sex is sacred. But Africa is under attack from a new wave of colonialism. Bill and Melinda Gates, along with numerous western agencies, have been dedicated to making donations With Strings Attached, with vaccines that have killed and maimed many, with an unwanted push for contraception without decent medical followup. Western donors have created a culture of leaders who accept financial aid but then feel obliged to accept western ideas that run contrary to core African beliefs and practices. The book deals with some difficult issues, including the idea that, in order to grow and thrive, African leaders need to consider turning down Aid that is harmful. The book opened my eyes and heart to the real beauty of Africa, not just to wildlife, to their deeply held beliefs, to their desire not to be invaded by money and ideas that do not fit in with the African people. There are a great deal of facts that in this great book that I cannot do justice to in any fairly brief note. For once in my life I have a sense about Africa that has changed my understanding of it in more than a news soundbyte kind of way. Through the eyes, heart, and mind of Obianuju I have gotten a taste of the the life, hopes, ideals, and struggles of the many African peoples. I highly recommend this book to YOU.
March 30, 2021
I purchased this after having a conversation with my mother about forcing birth control on African nations, and then realized that I didn't really know what I was talking about.
I'm not sure I can really comment on the "quality" of this book per se, as I am not deep into the politics of Africa or medical science like the author, but I am familiar with scandal and the militant ideologies of the Western world, and Ekeocha has a long and varied index and bibliography for such a relatively short work.
Interestingly, while plenty of things about modern America make me irritable, exasperated, or saddened, I don't think I've ever been so angry and horrified with affluent white Americans than I was while reading this book. Reading a native African's viewpoint on the situation of forced and mis-managed aid is very compelling - even more so the author really reins in any emotional outbursts or blanket condemnations. She is quite fair, thoroughly researched, and clearly knows precisely what she's talking about.
While in the US, most people who combat the evils of abortion and eugenics are used to familiar arguments and being demonized merely for taking an opposing stance, Ekeocha's book has a very different charge to it because we suddenly have the same flimsy, disingenuous rhetoric and emotional appeals used by the pro-death culture - except suddenly cast in the light of being jammed quite forcibly down another culture's throats by means of threats and thinly veiled bribes.
Enlightening and galvanizing for Christians and dissenters against the culture of sexual permissiveness and gratification.
I'm not sure I can really comment on the "quality" of this book per se, as I am not deep into the politics of Africa or medical science like the author, but I am familiar with scandal and the militant ideologies of the Western world, and Ekeocha has a long and varied index and bibliography for such a relatively short work.
Interestingly, while plenty of things about modern America make me irritable, exasperated, or saddened, I don't think I've ever been so angry and horrified with affluent white Americans than I was while reading this book. Reading a native African's viewpoint on the situation of forced and mis-managed aid is very compelling - even more so the author really reins in any emotional outbursts or blanket condemnations. She is quite fair, thoroughly researched, and clearly knows precisely what she's talking about.
While in the US, most people who combat the evils of abortion and eugenics are used to familiar arguments and being demonized merely for taking an opposing stance, Ekeocha's book has a very different charge to it because we suddenly have the same flimsy, disingenuous rhetoric and emotional appeals used by the pro-death culture - except suddenly cast in the light of being jammed quite forcibly down another culture's throats by means of threats and thinly veiled bribes.
Enlightening and galvanizing for Christians and dissenters against the culture of sexual permissiveness and gratification.
February 2, 2021
This is a wonderful and insightful book. It is unapologetic, but the arguments that Obianuju Ekeocha presents are compelling, especially in the continuing debates on life matters and colonialism. There will be some who will refute her arguments, but the patterns and effects of neocolonialism on the African continent reveal that adage, “hell is paved with good intentions.”
Anyone looking for a book that reveals how power and wealth can destroy culture and life in modern times will find this work timely and heart wrenching. It is a brave and honest study to show that human beings are slow to learn the lessons from the past. Obianuju Ekeocha argues with facts, reason, and passion how nations, especially those in the western world continue to exploit the African continent.
Anyone looking for a book that reveals how power and wealth can destroy culture and life in modern times will find this work timely and heart wrenching. It is a brave and honest study to show that human beings are slow to learn the lessons from the past. Obianuju Ekeocha argues with facts, reason, and passion how nations, especially those in the western world continue to exploit the African continent.
January 26, 2021
This is an excellent book. So eloquently written and tediously researched, the author does not mince words in her analysis of present-day neocolonialism by wealthy Western nations and their donor groups. Not only does she prove that Western values are foreign to most Africans, she shows the millions in aid pouring into Africa from these same nations and their organizations, falls miserably short of its goals. She also demonstrates how African representatives at the UN are regularly bullied by Western representatives. It's a shame. Obianuju Ekeocha is a treasure in the pro-life movement as well and she shows life and babies are valued in Africa. To move forward from neocolonialism, African leaders must take a stand against these wealthy Western donors and nations and defend African values.
April 2, 2022
Let me start by saying that one needs to have an open mind to read this book. I wanted to have the perspective of african authors regarding post colonialism issues, but this book pretty much focuses on abortion (70%) and sexuality.
The one positive thing about this book is the fact that she initially brings good perspective on how the western countries constantly put their noses in African matters disregarding cultural and religious core values. She brings relevant points that should be brought to debate and even certain mistakes and habits from western NGO, international organisations, etc. Mostly the fact that westerners try to help (whether if for good reasons or not) by imposing their models into a continent with a completely different cultural, religious, societal and economic framework.
She gives some examples and honestly if developed/ worked on by a more sophisticated experienced person this book could be a killer.
But this author is quite mediocre so no wonder she would shoot herself in the foot constantly... it was disappointing from the beginning till the end.
For someone who knows the basics of philosophy can immediately see the fallacies throughout her narrative and it becomes disturbing half way the book.
Constant manipulation of data excluding context, parcial selection of data to corroborate her points of view but purposely excluding relevant information which would contradict her initial premise in a heartbeat (like how south africa has a huge program regarding the introduction of condoms but still has a high rate of STDs, but fails to mention the success it had in many other countries); Of how Rwanda has 60% of women in Parliament but forgets to mention that this was a direct consequence of the Rwanda genocide which vanished a large number of men, and women had to step up); How abortion is actually illegal in many western countries, how abortions actually went down following the legalisation in western countries (given that they introduced other measures such as counselling to help women make more informed decisions), these abortion programmes vary from country to country... You can't just generalise such complex matter it takes the merit of the idea away... and i cant take someone seriously when this is done page after page 😮💨
The classic generalisation of 54 COUNTRIES, with over 1 billion people, super dividided in thousands of tribes, cultural and religion differences but all women have exactly the same general family core value living for the family and their children ONLY, romanticising housewife duty like they dont have any other aspirations.
She fails to mention (intentionally) how several girls and women have been forced to marry at a very young age, interrupt their studies, their dreams of having professions and how they would choose differently if they had any choice), no where in the book she mentions these women, their desires and how more and more people CHANGE especially the ones residing in cities and with more access to the internet, books and other instruments of information, besides the shifts in mentality which is occurring slowly across the globe, Africa is no exception... whether out of necessity, history, globalisation, etc.
Western women were not so different one or two centuries ago, they just had two wars which again messed the demographic balance and women had to take over. Many values were repressed, violently oppressed for centuries and never spoken in public out of fear of retaliation... can we guarantee that this is not the case of Africa? Are women given a choice besides the traditional role of housewife and motherhood in smaller towns and rural villages? I very much doubt so. And of course none of this mentioned intentionally...
Even though she never really says in words anything about western women i found it funny how constantly she ensured that these two groups were differentiated when it came to how they feel about abortion.
She showed plenty ignorance towards western women. For instance, when she had to admit that indeed african women do seek for illegal abortion and how this is massive issue in Africa, she never says it's because they want or need for whatever reason, but rather because they are forced by boyfriends or external people, that they do it with deep sadness and get a scar for life with deep shame, etc. She refuses to admit that women do that for the same reasons of western women (i.e simply because they did not want the child at the given moment)
Just like African Women, western women do not take abortion lightly... their reasons vary from financial problems, fathers not being in picture to raise the child, a result of extra conjugal relationships, etc. They too suffer with the decision, they too do it sadly... surprise surprise, the values are not that different. The big element that separates western and African values is truly taboo. Pure taboo.
I dont need to mention how she is homophobic and defends it openly in the name of culture, marriage and religion.
I could go on and on, i am aware that my own values really conflict with her statments and cloud my "impartial" judgment when reading the book. At the end the westerners defend the very essential basic birth right of human beings to have the freedom to make decisions for themselves, their bodies and their lives above everything else, including community, as opposed to Africans which praise the community and the continuation of family lines according to this author. This makes it very hard for both sides to understand and accept the other.
The initial intention of the author is great, she just couldn't deliver... hopefully someone else will do a much better job in the future without becoming ridiculous and comical.
Can't rate more than 2/5.
The one positive thing about this book is the fact that she initially brings good perspective on how the western countries constantly put their noses in African matters disregarding cultural and religious core values. She brings relevant points that should be brought to debate and even certain mistakes and habits from western NGO, international organisations, etc. Mostly the fact that westerners try to help (whether if for good reasons or not) by imposing their models into a continent with a completely different cultural, religious, societal and economic framework.
She gives some examples and honestly if developed/ worked on by a more sophisticated experienced person this book could be a killer.
But this author is quite mediocre so no wonder she would shoot herself in the foot constantly... it was disappointing from the beginning till the end.
For someone who knows the basics of philosophy can immediately see the fallacies throughout her narrative and it becomes disturbing half way the book.
Constant manipulation of data excluding context, parcial selection of data to corroborate her points of view but purposely excluding relevant information which would contradict her initial premise in a heartbeat (like how south africa has a huge program regarding the introduction of condoms but still has a high rate of STDs, but fails to mention the success it had in many other countries); Of how Rwanda has 60% of women in Parliament but forgets to mention that this was a direct consequence of the Rwanda genocide which vanished a large number of men, and women had to step up); How abortion is actually illegal in many western countries, how abortions actually went down following the legalisation in western countries (given that they introduced other measures such as counselling to help women make more informed decisions), these abortion programmes vary from country to country... You can't just generalise such complex matter it takes the merit of the idea away... and i cant take someone seriously when this is done page after page 😮💨
The classic generalisation of 54 COUNTRIES, with over 1 billion people, super dividided in thousands of tribes, cultural and religion differences but all women have exactly the same general family core value living for the family and their children ONLY, romanticising housewife duty like they dont have any other aspirations.
She fails to mention (intentionally) how several girls and women have been forced to marry at a very young age, interrupt their studies, their dreams of having professions and how they would choose differently if they had any choice), no where in the book she mentions these women, their desires and how more and more people CHANGE especially the ones residing in cities and with more access to the internet, books and other instruments of information, besides the shifts in mentality which is occurring slowly across the globe, Africa is no exception... whether out of necessity, history, globalisation, etc.
Western women were not so different one or two centuries ago, they just had two wars which again messed the demographic balance and women had to take over. Many values were repressed, violently oppressed for centuries and never spoken in public out of fear of retaliation... can we guarantee that this is not the case of Africa? Are women given a choice besides the traditional role of housewife and motherhood in smaller towns and rural villages? I very much doubt so. And of course none of this mentioned intentionally...
Even though she never really says in words anything about western women i found it funny how constantly she ensured that these two groups were differentiated when it came to how they feel about abortion.
She showed plenty ignorance towards western women. For instance, when she had to admit that indeed african women do seek for illegal abortion and how this is massive issue in Africa, she never says it's because they want or need for whatever reason, but rather because they are forced by boyfriends or external people, that they do it with deep sadness and get a scar for life with deep shame, etc. She refuses to admit that women do that for the same reasons of western women (i.e simply because they did not want the child at the given moment)
Just like African Women, western women do not take abortion lightly... their reasons vary from financial problems, fathers not being in picture to raise the child, a result of extra conjugal relationships, etc. They too suffer with the decision, they too do it sadly... surprise surprise, the values are not that different. The big element that separates western and African values is truly taboo. Pure taboo.
I dont need to mention how she is homophobic and defends it openly in the name of culture, marriage and religion.
I could go on and on, i am aware that my own values really conflict with her statments and cloud my "impartial" judgment when reading the book. At the end the westerners defend the very essential basic birth right of human beings to have the freedom to make decisions for themselves, their bodies and their lives above everything else, including community, as opposed to Africans which praise the community and the continuation of family lines according to this author. This makes it very hard for both sides to understand and accept the other.
The initial intention of the author is great, she just couldn't deliver... hopefully someone else will do a much better job in the future without becoming ridiculous and comical.
Can't rate more than 2/5.
March 4, 2023
Three cheers for this book and for Obianuju Ekeocha standing up for the culture of life in Africa!
"The insistence on reducing the population of Africa... is racism, imperialism, and colonialism disguised as philanthropy"
A call for authentic feminism: " Women should be given the opportunity to receive an education and rise to their full stature because when they rise they lift their families and their communities" - no Western agendas needed, thank you very much.
"The insistence on reducing the population of Africa... is racism, imperialism, and colonialism disguised as philanthropy"
A call for authentic feminism: " Women should be given the opportunity to receive an education and rise to their full stature because when they rise they lift their families and their communities" - no Western agendas needed, thank you very much.
March 18, 2021
Eye Opening
This book opened my eyes to the problem of Western societies trying to export their ideology into countries that don't want or need it. All cultures have their problems, but that is no reason to try to destroy what is good in a culture while trying to build the necessary infrastructure.
This book opened my eyes to the problem of Western societies trying to export their ideology into countries that don't want or need it. All cultures have their problems, but that is no reason to try to destroy what is good in a culture while trying to build the necessary infrastructure.
August 16, 2020
Eye opening
This book was really eye opening for me. It’s shameful enough that liberal ideologies are shoved down the throats of Americans, but to force them on other countries under the guise of “aid”? I’m beginning to understand why we are hated by other cultures.
This book was really eye opening for me. It’s shameful enough that liberal ideologies are shoved down the throats of Americans, but to force them on other countries under the guise of “aid”? I’m beginning to understand why we are hated by other cultures.
September 13, 2019
I think Target Africa is a much needed source of truth when it comes to foreign aid. When you hear her speak in interviews, she often says, "I am against most foreign aid," because most of it comes with strings attached. An excerpt:
“There are African governments that are, in effect, addicted to donor funds and would not be able to finance their own domestic budgets without any infusion of cash from external actors. Aid has a powerful effect on state institutions in Africa.
For example, in 2005 the Ugandan government collected only 57% of the taxes due from its citizens. Rather than fix whatever the collections problem might be, leaders turned to foreign aid to make up the budget shortfall. With such an easy fix, the state has limited incentive to improve its tax collection.
Aid sustains several African countries but in doing so it deprives them of the autonomy necessary to make decisions that are genuinely in the interests of their people. This gives donors the power and leverage to direct key aspects of the government’s economic and political agenda. Aid packages tend to be filled with conditionalities that perpetuate a kind of paternalism towards the recipient and undermine the autonomy.”
In the end, Uju includes a letter she wrote to Melinda Gates asking that she refocus her efforts on issues that African women truly need, education, good healthcare programs, food programs for children, etc. I'm glad she includes this but I'm not sure shifting the focus would remove the heavy personal/political agenda behind the aid.
I think there are a lot of gray areas in the topic of foreign aid and the best thing we can do it educate ourselves about both "sides" and use critical thinking and collaboration to come to a better solution. What that looks like specifically, I don't know. But I look forward to continued study on this topic.
I gave four stars because, although many of Uju's points are backed up by facts, she also does a lot of generalization. She speaks for the "African woman." This is obviously better than a non-African speaking out, but I would love to hear more African voices as a whole.
“There are African governments that are, in effect, addicted to donor funds and would not be able to finance their own domestic budgets without any infusion of cash from external actors. Aid has a powerful effect on state institutions in Africa.
For example, in 2005 the Ugandan government collected only 57% of the taxes due from its citizens. Rather than fix whatever the collections problem might be, leaders turned to foreign aid to make up the budget shortfall. With such an easy fix, the state has limited incentive to improve its tax collection.
Aid sustains several African countries but in doing so it deprives them of the autonomy necessary to make decisions that are genuinely in the interests of their people. This gives donors the power and leverage to direct key aspects of the government’s economic and political agenda. Aid packages tend to be filled with conditionalities that perpetuate a kind of paternalism towards the recipient and undermine the autonomy.”
In the end, Uju includes a letter she wrote to Melinda Gates asking that she refocus her efforts on issues that African women truly need, education, good healthcare programs, food programs for children, etc. I'm glad she includes this but I'm not sure shifting the focus would remove the heavy personal/political agenda behind the aid.
I think there are a lot of gray areas in the topic of foreign aid and the best thing we can do it educate ourselves about both "sides" and use critical thinking and collaboration to come to a better solution. What that looks like specifically, I don't know. But I look forward to continued study on this topic.
I gave four stars because, although many of Uju's points are backed up by facts, she also does a lot of generalization. She speaks for the "African woman." This is obviously better than a non-African speaking out, but I would love to hear more African voices as a whole.
December 19, 2023
A bunch of judgmental right-wing bullshit. The author provides almost no evidence for her points and contradicts herself on different topics. I concede that awareness must be raised about the dangerous side effects of birth control but these side effects do not warrant the total ban of contraceptives as the author wishes. I truly don't understand what the issue could be with people having ACCESS to abortion. If you don't want to use it, don't use it. You have no right to take it away from others. I couldn't finish this book. It was too hateful and blatantly illogical to me.
November 26, 2020
Estaba en duda en darle 4 o 5 estrellas, pero como hace una maravillosa defensa de la vida a través de luchar contra el aborto y sobretodo con impedir que los progresistas occidentales actuales obliguen a los países africanos a no solo a defender sino también a preconizar el aborto e imponerlo a toda costa, finalmente no he dudado en darle las 5 estrellas.
Se lee muy fácil y te cuenta las cosas muy claramente.
Muy recomendable.
Se lee muy fácil y te cuenta las cosas muy claramente.
Muy recomendable.
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