If you happened to miss the Niger famine drama that took place in 2004-05 on International Television, you can now watch the documentary about it, entitled The Famine Scam, on YouTube.
The Famine Scam (2008)
The main protagonists in this story involve 1 - The Media (in particular, the BBC) who claimed that one third of the population of Niger were dying of starvation and that the worst hit area was the very place where we had been living and working for more than twenty years.
Their star reporter Hilary Anderson stood in the village of Mirriah (just outside of the village we just visited, 20 km east of Zinder) and told the world the following:
This is the only part of Niger where anyone has even tried to estimate how many people have starved to death. And the indications are, that just in this town and and the villages immediately surrounding it, thousands of people have died in the last few months.
Hilary Anderson, BBC, The Famine Scam (2008)
Jan Egeland, The Famine Scam (2008)
The second key protagonist in the Niger Famine Scam was Jan Egeland, UN relief coordinator at the time, who claimed shared credit for having “saved” Niger from a famine that never was.
Johanne Sekkenes, Doctors Without Borders, The Famine Scam (2008)
The third main protagonist of this story is Doctors Without Borders. Although they would keep a low profile in the aftermath of the debate, this was the organisation that spurred the media attention in the first place and set the ball rolling, highlighting the launch of their patented miracle malnutrition-saving product “The Plumpynut”.
The Famine Scam (2008)
Grim and distasteful images of young children dying of malaria at the centers of Doctors Without Borders, fueled the image of Niger being foodless, and I have yet to hear them set the record straight.
Who on earth gave you the idea that there was no crisis in Niger?
Jan Egeland, The Famine Scam (2008)
The Garvi family, The Famine Scam (2008)
I have heard of many crisis in the world throughout my lifetime and did not think to doubt them. Had it not been for our twenty year presence in a very small and remote area of the world, I doubt that even I - a young Scandinavian - would have thought to question the truthfulness behind the powerful combination of the UN, the international media and the major aid organisations. But that 3,6 million people around me would be dying of not having food to eat? That was not happening!
Esther Garvi, The Famine Scam (2008)
To this day, I have yet to meet one person in the whole of Niger who knows of any person who died from not having food to eat. I know many people who have died from diseases and accidents, but in a hospitable country like Niger, I know of no one who would leave anyone to starve to death. Nor do the people of Niger, who more importantly than the protagonists above, for once had their voice heard in this Norwegian documentary:
The Famine Scam (2008)
Here is The Famine Scam on YouTube:
18 users commented in " The Famine Scam on YouTube! "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackEsther: It is awful when people lie to get money and then don’t help the people they should.
Thank you for the real truth about this situation. Shame on those who take advantage of those of us who can never know what’s real.
I have frequently noted how very healthy and beautiful the people are in your area. They look healthier than the average North American. I have heard that famine reports can be politically motivated, but have never heard a first hand denouncement as you have written. Very interesting. It is always important to know the truth.
I have to comment again after watching the entire documentary. The work of the Eden Foundation is shown so well in the film and I commend your family for the great job you are doing. You are all very dynamic on film. Esther, I thought your comment about the dignity of dying children was excellent. I had never thought how these poor people are exploited in their suffering. You have given me much to think about.
Thanks for the straight talk,water and medical attention seem to be a far greater concern in this area.
That is a disgrace! Why did’nt they go to Rwanda or Darfour to get their story? If they had an ounce of honor they would do a story on the great job ya’ll are doing in Niger. There are many good organizations working in Africa but there will always be the ones that LIE just to get money.
You folks are my HEROS!
Later…Ed
I too have noticed how well-fed, happy and healthy the Nigerien people look in your photos. The BBC and the UN seem to have manufactured a “famine” in order to get praise, money and honor from the rest of the world. Shameful!
Thanks for posting this video, Esther. I happened to be in Niger for two years at the time that this “famine” occurred. It was really interesting and revealing to watch this and I appreciated getting the perspective of your family and the Hausa people who live right in the area. By the way, it was just incredible to see the difference in the land that your family has been doing it’s research on from the time you started until 2007. Wow! Obviously the desert has alot to offer it’s inhabitants in the way of vegetation.
Thanks for sharing that. It’s horriffic how the media spins a story to suit their own needs and people (like myself) believe it because it seems to be coming from reputable sources. Makes you stop and think.
Bra att detta inte glöms bort och att dokumentären nu är helt tillgängligt.
Vet du Esther, jeg blir bare mer og mer desillusjonert og trist som årene går. Jeg husker filmen med Dustin Hoffmann, “Wag the dog” og tenker nå som da jeg så den, vi har ingen ting å stille opp mot fabrikerte løgner.
Takk for at vi har mennesker som deg og familien din. Dere gjør en fantastisk innsats!
Bravo for getting emotional & political on this blog! And I mean it in a good way! People like You can tell us what’s it real like.
This supposed famine was also reported here in the US when Doctors Without Borders was asking for donations for plumpynut. I had no idea! It sickens me that the news media is so easily persuaded and, in most cases, the cause of misinformation. Thank you for pointing this out!
Läste reportaget om svält lurendrejeriet och måste säga att det aldrig skulle ha fallit mej in att misstro nyheter av det här slaget. Det är helt enkelt skamlöst. Man måste ju börja misstänka allt och alla.
Interesting film. I’m happy I was directed to it. Very informative!
good luck Esther:)
I just watched the entire series. Thank you for posting them. I thought you and your family made such good points. I praise you and your family for the work you are doing there. I think it is so good that you are working with farmers using plants for long term solutions.
It is too bad the relief money that was sent to those aid organizations was not used more for similar projects and things such as water solutions and medical aid/malaria treatment. I never even thought about how free food could actually hurt the farmers and lower the prices of their crops. Very interesting, but it is very bad the way Africa’s people are exploited so the media and others can benefit from it.
I just finished watching all of it and it was truly eye opening. Not necessarily for me personally, but for the many out there that may have good intentions of helping Africans or those in underdeveloped countries that sees horrific propagandish commercials that ask for their money. I have an African professor that reminds people time after time, to not always believe what they hear on the BBCs of the world. To do their own background research. I now know exactly what he’s talking about. Thanks for what you do and I hope you continue to enjoy your experience.
hi esther we are really thankful indeed for showing and telling the whole world that they are still some(bad)people who are using us to get rich.thanks a lot allah ya saa alabarka.
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