Africa's Hierarchy of Needs

In the final chapter of Challenge for Africa, Wangari Maathai discusses, what she feels should be, the areas of focus for Africa. She states, "In any examination of the challenges of Africa, one natural resource often goes underappreciated: Africans themselves." In general, this quote can be applied to the majority of countries, not just those in Africa. Corruption, poverty, hunger, war, land destruction, and economic turmoil can all be traced back to people. Humans play a large role in their own fate, and often times, they forget that. In Africa's case, governments do not invest a lot of time or money into their people. Maathai repeatedly emphasizes throughout the book that "the disempowerment of ordinary people underlies Africa's gravest problems." She makes the point that African countries do not feel unified because the African people, themselves are not unified. The people lack confidence because they lack support and guidance. Maathai argues, "It is fundamental that Africa's leaders create the conditions under which their people gain confidence, dignity, and a sense of self-worth--with the citizens themselves actively participating in this effort." Her idea of working with people directly to solve their problems reminded me a lot about Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Maslow came up with a pyramid (as shown below) of the basic levels of needs that people have. His theory was that until the level below was satisfied, one could not move up to the next level. Some argue that not all of the needs are necessary in each level, but the general idea is that people need to first fulfill basic physical and physiological needs like food, water, and safety.

In the beginning of the final chapter, Maathai talks about the African family and how men have been uprooted from the home. She makes the argument that the administrations are insensitive to the "African man's need to provide emotional and physical security to his family." Maathai is not suggesting that women cannot handle raising and providing for a family. She is trying to point out the physical and emotional distance that's been created, which is in turn causing the family to fall short in the basic needs described in the first three levels of Maslow's hierarchy. It is important for people to recognize the importance of family. Family doesn't have to mean blood relations. It should be placed in the broader sense of uniting a group of people who share a culture and a history. Until people begin to feel that they belong to that group, they do not feel secure or respected by others. Maathai believes that Africa needs to focus more on the people and how they all fit together. Their needs are the most important, and until the government and the public realize that, Africa will remain at a stalemate. It's only when the people begin to examine and prioritize their needs that their country will be able to take the next step and move forward.