When the Levees Broke

I watched another episode of Oprah today (yes again!!!) and she was talking about hurricane Katrina. I saw the tremendous community spirit that Americans exhibited, rising to the call to help their own. Through the Oprah Angel Network, eleven million dollars has been raised to date and Jon Bon Jovi built 49 houses for victims who lost all they owned. The film producer and director Spike Lee made a documentary titled, ''when the levees broke'' showing real victims of Katrina. Where is our community spirit in Africa? I wept when I saw the devastation of Katrina, the suffering and hopelessness. I am weeping for people in America while here in South Africa people are destitute, dying from fires in shanty towns, hunger or of exposure to the elements. Around the continent, Darfur is burning up, victims of wars in DRC, Liberia, Sierra-Leone and Ivory Coast battle to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. On the 27th of April South Africa, Togo and Sierra-Leone celebrated their independence. What triumphs do these nations have to celebrate? I should not be crying for Americans because they take care of their own, I should be crying for my mother...Africa, and for her children, my people.