How To Give To Africa, Not Shop For Africa?

Savitri D has been blogging about Starbucks' unholy alliance with Project Red, starting today, essentially a 50 million dollar ad campaign to make them look like heroes for donating 5 cents from a four dollar specialty drink purchase to Bono's little gang. Maybe if Starbucks hadn't been suppressing coffee prices and acceptance of Fair Trade standards for decades fewer Africans would need charity from Bono?

So how do we give to Africa in a way that actually helps people and doesn't just boost the Q score of the Mermaid with no nipples? At the Church we like the following organizations, and we'd like to hear your favorites too:

Doctors Without Borders: 'Nuff said?

Oxfam International: Our Church supported their campaign against Starbucks' blocking Ethiopian coffee farmers from trademarking their Sidamo beans that have been cultivated over centuries. With that trademark the farmers can now leverage a stronger sale price at market, which means more money for the farmers and their families. Remember: Starbucks fought that tooth and nail until they were publically shamed.

The Heifer Project: Getting egg and milk producing animals, along with vegetables, to families so they can sustain themselves

Green Belt Movement: Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai's movement to reforest Africa with indigineous trees. This project addresses so much: soil erosion, women's rights, job training, and the list goes on.

So who do you support for their work in Africa? Remember: Justice not charity!