Well, its important to remember that most households do in fact have an issue in the division of labor, and that there is an extent to which it does fall towards women to pick up food, cleaning and kid related slack.  It’s not going to be a gender based issue for everyone, and we are at the point where partners now realize that they must compromise and negotiate on household chores.  It is important to realize that you do trade time spent developing yourself in other ways (academically, professionally, artistically) for activities such as urban ag and canning. Unless you combine the two, which is all kinds of awesome where possible.  

I do understand Moyo’s frustration but I’m not sure that it will be possible to encourage investment in Africa without more stability.  I could be wrong as there are certainly firms that operate on the continent for a variety of reasons (including access to natural resources) but I suspect that right now it looks like risky business.  Its not wrong to criticize the aid model – regardless of how much has been poured into it.  It can be devastating to find that you have personally funded what is considered to be a failing program.  If investors are able to get beyond the unrest and treat Africa less like a problem to be solved and more like a normal country perhaps things could be better.  Getting to that trust will be difficult. 

Well, its important to remember that most households do in fact have an issue in the division of labor, and that there is an extent to which it does fall towards women to pick up food, cleaning and kid related slack.  It’s not going to be a gender based issue for everyone, and we are at the point where partners now realize that they must compromise and negotiate on household chores.  It is important to realize that you do trade time spent developing yourself in other ways (academically, professionally, artistically) for activities such as urban ag and canning. Unless you combine the two, which is all kinds of awesome where possible.  

I do understand Moyo’s frustration but I’m not sure that it will be possible to encourage investment in Africa without more stability.  I could be wrong as there are certainly firms that operate on the continent for a variety of reasons (including access to natural resources) but I suspect that right now it looks like risky business.  Its not wrong to criticize the aid model – regardless of how much has been poured into it.  It can be devastating to find that you have personally funded what is considered to be a failing program.  If investors are able to get beyond the unrest and treat Africa less like a problem to be solved and more like a normal country perhaps things could be better.  Getting to that trust will be difficult.