Journalistic 5-Alternative

In The Village where Aid Makes a Vital Difference (The Independent, September 21, 2006)

Summary: The Independent’s Africa Correspondent, Steve Bloomfield takes an in-depth look at one village affected by the Millennium Villages Program (MVP) developed by Jeffrey Sachs. It examines the tremendous steps forward Silula, Kenya has made because of the individual attention awarded them by the MVP, and suggests that the success of this program may revolutionize how U.S. foreign aid is distributed.

Topic: Should the state department of the Obama administration double foreign aid for Africa?
Category: Alternative Journalistic
What Is It? Article published in a special (RED) edition of The Independent

Title: In The Village Where Aid Makes a Vital Difference
Publication Information: The Independent, September 21, 2006, The UK
Author: Steve Bloomfield, reporter on assignment in Kenya
Location: http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Independent_21Sept2006.pdf
Accessed: January 6, 2009

Support:
• Elvis and Edward Oyier, villagers affected by the Millennium Villages Program
• Jeffrey Sachs, American economist and director of the Millennium Villages Program
• Mary Asiko, 65 year-old-farmer whose crops burgeoned because of the M.V.P.
• Joseph Lanyo, headmaster of Bar Sauri primary school
Edward Oyier and his young grandson, Elvis, own a farm that has greatly improved thanks to the MVP and Oyier is quoted in this article attesting to that fact. Jeffrey Sachs is cited as the brain trust behind the MVP and is quoted as advocating investment of funds rather than the simple transfer of funds from government to government. Mary Asiko’s maize crops have tripled since the MVP took effect and she’s quoted commenting on the many changes that have occurred. Joseph Lanyo is quoted attesting to how much his school has changed in both performance and attendance since the school lunch program was started because of the MVP.

Audience and Agenda: The Independent is a liberal leaning daily newspaper out of London. Their circulation reaches just about 400,000 people, mostly in the UK. They are funded by various advertisers and, according to my British roommate, are considered to be a semi-extremist magazine with very strong biases against the right. They’re writing for a left-leaning audience, so they would tailor their articles and content to fit what more liberal readers want to see.

Usefulness: Since there isn’t a lot of commentary in this article and it’s mostly observations about how the MVP has affected this particular village, it seems to be a safe source for my purposes. It’s very specific and uses a lot of first hand accounts of how these particular African people have been affected, so it doesn’t bring in anything on broader subjects pertaining to the effectiveness of foreign aid. In this case, the aid has been effective, so the article focuses on the positives of the individual attention provided by the MVP. Bloomfield briefly mentions that this could change how foreign aid is distributed, which alludes to the ineffectiveness of the current aid system. It’s making a case for the MVP and pitching it to a liberal audience. I would use this article if I needed a specific example of when foreign aid has worked from the ground-up rather than the trickle-down method. In regards to the question of whether or not the state department should double foreign aid, this article would argue yes as long as it was channeled through a program like the Milliennium Villages Program, in order for the villages to get the individual attention they need so desperately.

Works Cited:
The Independent Advertising Guide
My roommate, Eleanor Curry (very reliable…)