FreeFufu.com

This is in reaction to the article http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/577574 dated Monday, 23rd July, 2007

“UGANDA is among African countries most hit by ‘brain drain’, the emigration of skilled workers to rich countries…. “In countries of origin, the main reasons for emigration of qualified personnel are limited employment possibilities, poor working conditions and weak career paths.”

I am one of those qualified personnel who emigrated from Uganda. Most people think professionals emigrate because low pay or limited employment possibilities. Well some do but others emigrate due to weak career path offered at home. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t jobless in Uganda. I worked in the infrastructure industry and had a well paying job ( salary in US dollars). However I found I had no career path because of the working environment. It was so frustrating to see that whatever we built couldn’t last. There was no satisfaction and passion for what I was doing due to the “hidden forces” that made the decisions contrary to what was professionally correct.  I found I was going nowhere and needed to build a career and this couldn’t be achieved in Uganda.

You might be asking yourself, but isn’t a "job" and a "career" the same thing? Most often the terms "job" and "career" are often used interchangeably. But there are important differences between the two terms. Those differences go beyond dictionary definitions. They could affect how you view work in your lifetime.

Jobs are often a means to an end. A job is work for which you receive pay. Example: biologist at XYZ Biotice Company. A career is a lifetime journey of building and making good use of your skills, knowledge and experiences. It is the total of all events and relationships in our lives: family, friends, education, work, and leisure activities.

The article says: “In 2002, there were 175 Ugandan doctors living and practising in the US, compared to 722 in the whole of Uganda. It points out that Uganda has only three doctors per 100,000 people, much lower than the African average of 13 per 100,000.”

Depending on the profession, Medicine has a strong tradition of international collaboration, with doctors moving around the globe to gain further training and different clinical experience. However as for the case of Uganda, like many other African countries, mass exodus of health professionals from African countries is impairing the continent’s ability to adequately deal with its burgeoning AIDS problem. Health professionals are an integral part of the health care system’s infrastructure and a key component to stopping the spread of HIV by providing both treatment and preventive measures. Without an adequate number of health professionals serving the population, bringing in other measures to stop AIDS will not be effective.

 

On the other hand I also pity the doctors. I mean it must be frustrating to work in a hospital with no drugs yet there are drugs expiring at National Medical Stores.

 

It’s a heartbreaking fact but yes the brain drain will continue to happen, unless a change takes place.

Pause for thought: http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/238744

 

Hi Kikazzi

Thank you for your post on this topic, please check out my blog  My Story worthy $0.02 of course not scientific what I observed on my own when I attented a meeting of my fellow Ugandas

MW

What was the link supposed to show?  Did not see anything related to UG.  How have you been surviving the high temps in your neigbourhood?

lol @ QS, many thanks for the article Kikazi and I entirely agree with your assessment of the situation. I had a good job too with Uganda Hotels, but if you can imagine trying to provide European type meals cooked on a sigili (charcoal BBQ) whilst you can do so with some dishes other dishes need controlled heating and exact temps etc, so when a scholarship came through for me to live for Austria I never looked back and there was no way I was returning to work in such conditions having experienced high class working conditions. It's a tough one this but people will always seek better conditions for work as well as advancement

The link is only meant to highlight some of the humiliation we  suffer in  these  Western  “Greener Pastures”.  

This happens in every soceity around the world.  It deals with supply and demand and capitalizm.

 

A good example of what I am writting about:

You are a farmer and you employee workers from your village.  The is another village that is near by that is lacking in employment and is willing to work for less that your current workers - END RESULT - workers from your village loses job and is replaced with lower paid employees.

Your a worker and the job that you are working at pays the bills but there is no money left for savings.  You notice a job in "Country X" in which you will be making n amount of dollars that will allow you to get ahead in life and start saving for your family and make an increase in your status - END RESULT - you take the job and leave the current job for a better life regardless of location

 

If there is no incentive for workers to stay at a job then skilled workers will leave for the "Greener Pastures" regardless of the treatment because of the monetary value that is being sought.

People,

A friend  sent me the piece below as a joke . Any opinions

WHY AFRICANS ARE ALWAYS TIRED, its not laziness, here is the reason
For a couple years many Africans have been blaming it on lack of sleep, too much pressure from job, poor blood, but now the real reason has been found:  

We're tired because we're overworked. Here's why:
1. The population of Africa is 800 million: 200 million are retired. That leaves 600 million.

2. There are 200 million in school, which leaves 400 million to do the work.

3. Of this, there are 100 million employed by the government. Leaving 300 million to do the work.

4. 50 Million are in the armed forces & related jobs; which leaves 250 million to do the work.

5. Take from the total the 150 million people unemployed. And that leaves 100 million to do the work.

6. At any given time there are 90 Million people in hospitals out of which 50 million are the "employed but sick". Leaving 50 Million to do the work.

7. There are 20 Million people in prisons. Leaving 30 million to do the work.

8. 1 Million are Chiefs, Kings, Queens, Presidents, Ministers, pastors, Voodoo or Juju Masters. Leaving 29 Million to do the work.

9. Now, 28,999,998 Africans are out of Africa. In Europe, USA, Asia etc. That leaves just two people to do all the work.

You and me... but you're sitting on your chair, at your computer, reading this joke instead of working............
That leaves one person, only me, to do all the work....

Bwahaha. And while u were posting this, who was doing the work?

Good question kaks! The way I see things we in Africa at some point possibly before my time we were told that were are poor and we have beleived that and continue to do so. But look at the diamond, gold, tanzanite, oil etc that were are sitting on!  My view If you think you can your are right and if you think you cant you are right