The Dehumanizing Impact of Tax Dollars on Canadians.
$50 billion. That’s the staggering amount of tax dollars sent as aid to Africa annually. But have you ever stopped to ask: who decided that Africa needs this aid, and why?
The answers are as clear as day:
Who: Eurocentric communities.
Why: Because they believe Africans are defective Europeans.
This money is supposedly meant to make Africa a better place. But a better place for whom? For Africans? I don’t think so.
Before Africa was occupied, Africans were content with their lives. They had their own systems, their own ways of living that worked for them. But then the conquerors arrived, and they concluded that Africans were mere human-like beings, capable of being molded into what they considered truly human. They took it upon themselves to create “humans” out of the newly discovered beings.
This meant tearing apart existing family structures, economies, agricultural practices, education systems, housing, and health care. For this transformation to take place, it was deemed necessary to obliterate any semblance of these structures that already existed.
Fast forward to today. Tax dollars flow into Africa under the guise of aid, but the goals remain eerily similar to those of centuries ago. The aid supports social reforms, economic changes, production adjustments, water projects, housing initiatives, and—most notably—perpetuates Africa’s indebtedness to the same entities that once colonized the continent.
The aid, in theory, aims to uplift. But in reality, it often imposes foreign ideals, undermining the very essence of African identity and self-sufficiency. The narrative hasn’t changed much: Africans are still seen through a distorted lens, needing to be “fixed” or “civilized.”
It’s time to question the real motives behind this aid. It’s time to recognize that true progress for Africa won’t come from external impositions, but from within the continent itself. Africans deserve to define their own path to development, free from the lingering shadows of colonial arrogance.
Let’s give credit where credit is due: Africa has a rich history, vibrant cultures, and resilient people. They don’t need to be remade in anyone else’s image. They need the freedom and support to thrive on their own terms.
So next time you hear about those billions of tax dollars in aid, ask yourself: who is it really for? Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that not all that glitters is gold, and sometimes, aid is just another form of control.
