Problems that Plague the Continent of Africa

Africa is the second largest continent in the world, but has some of the worst problems. Its immense size makes it difficult to keep up with the steady flow of new problems that arise every day. Therefore, I've provided a guide with some of the major problems that plague this continent plus some ideas about what can to done to help change some of the travesties that take place every day on a continent that takes up nearly one-forth of the world's land mass.

Starvation
In Africa, food is not a scarce commodity. Obviously, food is not as abundant as it is in America, but there are markets with a wide array of foods, yet the problem is the lack of ability for many Africans to purchase this food. The United Nations World Food Programme passes out food to many people who face malnourishment, but this is not enough.

Drought-ridden areas are the least equipped to handle such large numbers of people in need of nourishment. Food simply cannot be produced without adequate water, which means efficient irrigation systems.

The United Nations World Food Programme accepts donations which go toward purchasing food to pass out to malnourished individuals, but other websites such The Hunger Site have a "click to give" program in which, all the visitor has to do is click on an icon to help. Sponsors of this site donate money every time a visitor uses the "click to give" icon.

Clean Water
Just as drought destroys the crops of Africa, it destroys the water supply also. Clean water is already difficult to come by; it is in fact, the most needed commodity on the globe. However, when drought strikes, puddles and ponds completely evaporate, leaving only cracked earth behind. Some companies such as P&G Health Sciences Institute have created packets of calcium hypochlorite and ferrous sulfate, which turn contaminated water to clean drinking water.

Disease
Diseases such as AIDS, Ebola, and malaria plague millions of people living on the continent. AIDS has caused average life expectancies in many countries to drop dramatically, while malaria is the second leading cause of death on the continent. Ebola is less frequent, but kills much quicker than either AIDS or malaria. With only four major outbreaks in human history, Ebola is immensely deadly because it moves quickly and kills many.

Luckily, there are many companies that are taking charge and trying to combat the large number of lives being lost daily. The Nothing But Nets Campaign accepts donations so that nets can be handed out for prevention of malaria.

Child Soldiers
One of the most ethically horrifying and heart wrenching occurrences currently taking place in Africa is use of child soldiers. Children are often kidnapped from their homes in the middle of the night and forced to join armed rebel groups. Sometimes they are forced to kill family and friends also, as a demonstration of their loyalty to their captors. One former child combatant described killing as being as easy as, "drinking a glass of water".

This idea is neither local or new, child soldiers are being used worldwide. According to Human Rights Watch, an estimated 200,000- 300,000 child soldiers are currently in use around the globe. These children are being raised in constant state of turmoil, conflict, and violence. They will one day grow up, like everyone does, and if all they know is how to kill, how can anyone expect them to want a world without violence?

There are many ways to help stop the problems that plague the continent of Africa and it doesn't take much to give. There are many ways to help without spending a penny. All it takes is some knowledge about what is going on and a desire to fix the problems.