A Surprising Reason Why Africa Is So Poor

Do you know how you can tell an English-speaking 6-year-old something about black holes, motors, galaxies, evolution, the universe, and so on? Well, in most African languages, you can’t. If you are hearing this for the first time, you might ask what about Swahili? It is spoken by over 150 million people and it is even the official language of some East African countries? Surprise, Surprise! You can’t.

There is no equivalent of matter bends space in Swahili or a statement of the second law of thermodynamics. Heck, you can even explain how cars function, let alone planes. The language is simply lacking in vocabulary and literature.

If I were to share my experience growing up in Africa, it was terrible not being able to follow the dialogue in the Lion King or any of the favorite movies and animations of my childhood. Of course, they could have been translated, but for most of them, it is not possible. How are you going to explain things like time travel or genetic engineering in Swahili anyway?

The saddest thing is that as a kid you don’t know what you are missing out on. That is until you become an adult and have to watch the Lion King or Cinderella all over again. What’s even sadder is that society doesn’t seem to care. Otherwise, long ago efforts should have been made to remedy the situation.

I always admire how Western kids imitate Iron Man, Optimus Prime, Master Yoda, and even recite lines from their favorite movies as they play with their Lego sets and as they interact with their parents and peers. Such joyous moments are not possible in Africa.

Do you know what else is not possible? I’ve seen parents tell their kids what it is like to be a doctor, an engineer, or a scientist. What can an African doctor say to their kids about their profession when most diseases, medical conditions, and treatments have no names in Swahili or any other African language?

When I was growing up, I always liked to read, but as an African kid whose first language is neither English, German, French, Japanese, nor any of the tens of developed languages, I had a really hard time. There are no books for a bright 6 –10-year-old because, at that age, you don’t have enough vocabulary to pick up Harry Potter, or even have it read to you.

I must also add that while the average kid in the US, China, Germany, and so on can listen to a presidential address, there is no such luxury down here. The typical African president delivers their speech in English, and most kids don’t make out what is being said. If they are lucky, they might get a few words by the time they are 12. Imagine not being able to hear what your president is saying on Independence Day! And everyone expects you to grow up a patriot.

What has this got to do with poverty? I’d say everything. If you are a native English speaker, imagine a world where you have to attend school in a foreign language like Russian, but you still have to address your kids, friends, and family in a different language. If this other different language is underdeveloped, it means that the social transmission of ideas is next to impossible.

Think about it.

What’s the first time you heard the following words: oxygen, chemistry, physics, risk management, evolution, philosophy, electromagnetism, space, the universe, etc.? Probably from friends, family, or in movies. In Africa, you’ve got to go to school to hear common sense words like those listed above.

I’ve often heard people, including economists and politicians from my country, say that in the 60s, the Asian tigers — Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea — were at the same stage of development as many African countries. They may have been at the same GDP and illiteracy levels but you’ve got to consider that being illiterate in Korean or Mandarin is very different from being illiterate in some African language.

When a South Korean child attends school and is instructed in their mother tongue, they will share that knowledge with their parents on the dinner table. And when agricultural extension officers round up the villagers to tell them of some new farming techniques, little will be lost in translation. It is a shame that agriculture manuals meant for African farmers are still being written in English and French.

The point is, the South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese farmers, and artisans are vastly trainable even when they are illiterate because everything is in the only language they ever need to know.

Presently, to educate an illiterate African farmer, you’ve got to do it in English or French, a process that is more costly and that will produce fewer ripple effects in society. Needless to say, all these factors entrench poverty. We have fewer authors, inventors, scientists, translators, and so on because ideas don’t flow freely in society. We can’t own them.

What is the solution to all of this?

Simple really. Children should be taught in the language they are most comfortable using. In Africa, where there are over 2000 languages, that might present a problem. But languages such as Swahili can help because they are widely accepted. Do you know that Swahili will have 900 million speakers by 2050 according to projections by the UN? It is such numbers that make it a fascinating language that could shape the future of Africa forever.

In my book, The Winds of Laikipia, I have written extensively on this and many other topics. If you want to learn more, you can buy it here.