Hunger and misery haunt many African countries.
Just imagine that about every four seconds
Someone dies of hunger in Africa
Many Africans live in countries
That are ripped apart
By wars, famine, and drought
Countries like the Sudan, Ethiopia, Mozambique
Burundi, Uganda, and the Congo
- – -
In these countries
There exists subsistence farming
Many of the children are malnourished
And are skin and bones
With large heads and bulging eyes
- – -
In many villages
There are no hospitals nor clinics
And women have to trek
Many miles to seek medical attention
Where there’s often a lack of medication
It’s for them
A matter of life or death
- – -
With little or no food to eat
And an inadequate supply
Of drinking water
Due to the lack of wells
Many fall prey to diseases
Like river blindness, malaria
Sleeping disease
And die before receiving
Any medical attention
- – -
To add to their plight
HIV has caused AIDS
And so far ravaged
More than 25 million on the continent
Leaving in its wake
15 million orphans
With no place to turn
- – -
According to the World Health Organization
One third of all people in the world
Are starving
And every year, 15 million children
Die from starvation
- – -
In most of these countries
The leaders are corrupt
And one in four people live
On less that one U.S. dollar per day
- – -
It’s sad to see
That often food and medicine donated
Image by US Mission Geneva via Flickr
Image by US Mission Geneva via Flickr
By worldwide charitable organizations
Fall into the hands of these same leaders
Instead of the starving Africans
And end up being sold on the black market
- – -
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