How Charities deteriorating life of Africans

Study claims that supporting charities for African villages actually leads to an increase in poverty

Researchers at Bristol University have found a link between rural areas and urban poverty in Ethiopia. According to them, the improvement of water supply in rural areas has led to an increase in population, which has forced many young people to move into poor neighborhoods in search of work.

Cities in Ethiopia, which is one of the countries with most villages in the world is expected to double in size over the next 40 years, and they live 40% of the population.

Boom cities is a direct result of projects funded through charity, says the study.

Infant mortality rate in rural areas has dropped dramatically. With the growth of their population, access to resources becomes more difficult. Local youths are forced to seek work in the cities. University study was published in PLoS ONE, and was sponsored by the Research Trust charity "Levarhalm" / Leverhulme Trust /.

The study found data collected from 1,280 households in five villages before and after the construction of the water system. It shows that the size of families has increased by reducing child mortality, which hamper access to limited food supplies and led to an increase in child malnutrition.

It is estimated that people aged between 15 and 30 years with access to running water is three times more likely to migrate to a big city in search of livelihood than those without such access, the authors of the report, working with the University of Addis Ababa.

Dr Mhairi Gibson from the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Bristol, said: "The importance of the study lies in the identification of previously unforeseen consequences of international development. Though improved access to water has reduced the workload of women and improving the health of children he unexpectedly led to higher birth rates and larger families, increasing scarcity of households. "

"Demographic consequences of initiatives to support rural areas are seldom taken into account, but it is imperative that they be. A key challenge of the 21st century are related to this demographic pressure and this study highlights the need to achieve a better understanding of relationship between demography and development. "

In 1985 Bob Geldof drew the attention of the West to the millions starving in Africa, organized the concert Live Aid.

Concert with the charity song together about 150 million pounds, which provided access to safe, clean water to millions of rural Africans - many of whom live in rural slums. (BTA)