Scarcity mentality is the mental conditioning that the resources one has at their disposal at a given time are insufficient to cater for their needs, despite those resources being readily available and long-lasting with sustainable use.
It is that absolute sense of lack, and the fear of continued insufficiency, that leads many to overuse and overexploit in the present moment, ignoring the needs of future generations.
Africa is a vast and rich continent, with natural resources far outweighing those in any other part of the world. And yet, the people of Africa seem not to benefit from these natural reserves.
Many factors come into play when discussing the exploitation and use of Africa’s reserves, but here we will look at how we as Africans contribute to this continuously disproportionate equation, and perhaps how we can restructure our mindset to balance this out in the future.
What are the origins of the scarcity mindset in Africa? How did a people in a land so abundant find themselves feeling the most tremendous sense of lack?
In my research, looking at African and Indigenous communities of the world I have found many different theories. However, the one that stood out to me most was my one from my mother.
Her reasoning, which later became truth to me, was that the roots of scarcity mentality can be traced back to the concentration and intermittent camps that many African communities found themselves in with the occupation of the colonial settlers. Once again, we see the forced disconnect of the African from their land, and its reclamation by foreigners. What was once ours suddenly belonged to someone else. Moreover, we were made to work fields that were once our homes and farms, and barely felt the profit of our labour, if any. As our lush forests and beautiful landscapes changed, so did our minds. The years of repetitive conditioning in this aspect bred in us a sense of lack, of inferiority so deep that today, many of us still feel it. Maybe you have felt it too.
We did not put ourselves in this situation. However, we are here now, years later, liberated and managing our resources, and it is up to us to undo the damage done, rewire our thinking and honour the experience and the lessons of our past.
With independence came the reclamation of what was rightfully ours. However, it did not entirely liberate us. The effects of colonization were still present. Ironically, we immediately adapted the systems of governance that had been put in place and that already provided an unfair advantage to the wealthy. One would think it wise, as a collective, to have taken a step back first, count our losses and decide how to move forward. But the world was moving at its own pace, and we were in a hurry to catch up.
Even now, we are trying to catch up. We are the “third world countries” only by the standards of civilizations that had created these very systems of governance we adopted. Some of these countries had years to perfect their systems, and this put us in last place by the “modern world” standards. To better understand this, imagine bringing a toddler to a university and expecting them to compete with individuals more than 15 years older than them. It’s ridiculous even picturing it.
Furthermore, adopting these systems only put us in a position of experiencing continued colonial influence. Looking at commercialized agriculture, tourism or mining, the methods of exploitation were set to serve the good of the first world countries, and in many ways still do. These systems encourage resource over-exploitation and discourage sustainable, long-term profits over short-term gain that, once again, do not equate to the labour of the African.
As a result, we have an inherent belief that we must use up all we can today because we might not have it tomorrow. We must clear all forests we can, to make large-scale farms with poor planning and management. We must use up all the nutrients in the soil, then add fertilizers and use that up too, till the soil is nothing but tiny pieces of rock held together, so we can sell our tea, our coffee, our flowers to the world. We must use that plastic bottle, use that plastic bag, and throw it out of the car window when we’re done. After all, this is what it means to catch up with the world, and we “must” catch up. We continue to chase and fit into criteria that were not designed by us and are not for us.
But what can you and I do about it?
For one, pat yourself on the back for coming this far. The status quo was not designed by us, but we’ve managed to handle the pressure so far (even if we’re needing to work on some areas).
Two, what do you know about how resources are being used in your municipality? In your home town? In your city? Are you seeing mismanagement there? Have you spoken up about it? If you have, kudos to you and keep at it! But if you have not, we’re here to learn. Find your voice, let’s start together.
Three, know that what we have is more than enough, but we must use it well. Remind yourself that we are an abundant people in an abundant land, and we must honour what has been given to us and reserve it for future generations.
Four, do you know what environmentalism is? Have you thought of incorporating it into your daily life? If you have, good job so far. If not, the good news is we can learn and change together. We interact with nature every single day. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the vegetables you eat and the ground you walk on. It is the bare minimum, to be thankful to the environment for facilitating our existence.
And five, how do you express your ecological ideals in your craft or career? How can you incorporate environmentalism, sustainability and conservation practices into your hustle? Your business? Your art? Your job as a lawyer? An accountant? A doctor? A driver? What do you see in your home or workplace that you can change, to be kinder to the earth?
We all have a role to play in this. This is our land, our home, our earth, and we are the best people to protect it as it has protected us.
eco elma 