Exploitation in Africa – a TV documentary 

Exploitation in Africa – a TV documentary

I watched a TV documentary late last night about an artificially created fishing industry and town (catching giant perch introduced in the 1950’s or 60’s) in east Africa – I think Tanzania.

I am still in shock. I actually think this program has changed my entire outlook on life.

I have seen all the usual ghettos and refugee camps on TV before, but nothing compared to this. Street children abandoned by their parents at 8 or 9, been beaten up every day, and attacked in every way imaginable (and I guess ways that I fortunately cannot imagine). A life where every single minute had the threat of attack and death. It was a 24 hour living nightmare – closer to hell than I could ever imagine.

Young women selling themselves for 10 shillings (their currency) per night to the visiting pilots who fly the fish back to Russia and from there on to Europe.

Some of these women and a security guard being paid one dollar a night (and having nothing more than a bow and arrow for protection) actually apologised for their lack of education as they fluently spoke English (a foreign tongue) and talked about what they would like from the world – if only they had the chance.

The industry is created by the officialdom of the European Union, but is run largely by Asians and Europeans who seem immune to the exploitation. They even sell the waste, fish heads and bones, to the people of the area as food – covered in maggots. Aids was also rife and there was simply no positive image to cling on to for any of these people.

The program ended in the most horrendous of ways with dual revelations.

Firstly a Russian pilot, who the program had focussed on and who seemed very troubled, explained that the planes he flew did not arrive in Tanzania empty, but full of weapons – he ultimately broke down as he expanded on the story and the effect he felt his actions were having. (I though him a brave and moral human being and he no doubt lost his job as a result of his revelations.)

The second, and gut wrenching revelation, was about the girl who sold her body to the pilots. She was truly charming and intelligent and would no doubt have prospered in any western society. She was stabbed to death by an Australian client during the making of the program. – His fate, if any, was not mentioned.

I don’t quite know how I have always managed to keep my head in the sand and block out things like this, but I am still struggling to grasp how appalling life must be for these people - And all because they were born in a certain place and at a certain time.