The Culture of Self-Reliance and Foreign Aid to Least Developed Countries: The Case of Mosquito Bed Nets Distribution in Tanzania

Journal of Globalization Studies. 2014. Vol. 5. No. 2. P. 97–111.

Bondarenko D. M., Nkyabonaki J., Mkunde B. M.

Self-reliance was a cornerstone of Ujamaa socialism – the ideology of Tanzania from 1967 till mid-1980s. In the post-Cold-War time the socialist ideology has actually been abandoned, together with the really valuable concept of self-reliance. At present, as other LDCs, Tanzania is crucially dependent on foreign aid. We argue that aid can play a positive part for LDCs, including Tanzania, but only if it promotes their self-development which, in its turn, is possible only if a nation is or strives to become self-reliant. However, in contemporary Tanzania the culture of self-reliance has almost disappeared since national ideology has virtually changed, and many people rely on foreign aid and national government, not on their own hard work. At the same time, the union of foreign donors and corrupted national bureaucracy results for Tanzania in aid without development that, as in the case of mosquito bed nets aid, cannot promote self-reliance and, hence, socio-economic progress. The article is based on fieldwork conducted in two Tanzania’s regions – Dar es Salaam (three urban municipalities, 67 filled out questionnaires and 18 structured interviews) and Morogoro (two rural districts, 58 questionnaires and 12 structured interviews).

Keywords: гражданское общество, государство, civil society, state, гуманитарная помощь, Танзания, Tanzania, foreign aid, self-reliance, "опора на собственные силы"