Having done a spell as an aid worker in Africa on behalf of the charity Rotary, I can speak first hand about the hardship I saw. It is heartbreaking to see the conditions that children endure with little or no healhcare whilst a well-meaning West is sending its old medical equipment there despite there being little electricity, no manuals, no technicians and no spares available. On top of this, corrupt officials demand their percentage bribe before equipment can enter the country. This is just one tiny part of the mess that aid has become. People are dying, children are dying whilst politicians and petty officials cream off their cut from the poor and starving. This is what MUST be tackled by aid agencies before they pour money into the bottomless hole that Africa has become. We will only deal with other Rotary clubs in Africa to ensure the money is spent correctly but even we get cheated sometimes.