The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa : The Asian Contribution

Robert G. Gregory challenges the apparent assumption that non-Western peoples lack a significant indigenous philanthropic culture. Focusing on the large South Asian community in East Africa, he relates how, over a century, they built a philanthropic culture of great magnitude, and how it finally collapsed under the ascendency of increasing state regulation and policies directed against non-African communities.Compelled by poverty to seek better oppurtunities overseas, most Asians arrived in East Africa as peasant farmers. Denied access to productive land and sensing economic opportunity, they turned to business. Despite severe forms of racial discrimination in the colonial society, they suffered few restrictions on their business enterprises and some became very wealthy. Gregory's historical analysis shows philanthropy as an important contribution, one that stemmed from deep roots in Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist culture. The sense of nonracial social responsibility cultivated social, medical, and educational facilities designed for all.This age of philanthropy terminated with the Asian exodus. The socialist and racial policies adopted by East African governments over the past few decades have virtually destroyed the foundation necessary for philanthropy as well as the distinct Asian cultural identity. Gregory's account of the East Asian's role in philanthropy deserves great attention and sober reflection. Most modern scholarship on philanthropy in the non-Western world has traced its origins to European initiatives or has concentrated on the contributions of American foundations and international agencies. In The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa, Robert G. Gregory challenges the apparent assumption that non-Western peoples lack a significant indigenous philanthropic culture. Focusing on the large South Asian community in East Africa, he relates how, over a century, they built a philanthropic culture of great magnitude, and how it finally collapsed under the ascendency of increasing state regulation and policies directed against non-African communities. Compelled by poverty in their homeland to seek improvement overseas, most of these people arrived in East Africa with scarcely any savings. Most were peasant farmers. But denied access to productive land and sensing an extraordinary economic opportunity to serve the economic interests of the Africans and European settlers, they turned to business--to importing and exporting, retailing and wholesaling, building and contracting, moneylending, road transport, and eventually manufacturing. Despite severe forms of racial discrimination in the colonial society, they suffered few restrictions on their business enterprise. Emphasizing industry, thrift, and education, they prospered, and some became very wealthy. Asian participation in the development of East Africa is usually assessed in economic terms, but as Gregory's historical analysis shows, philanthropy was an important contribution, one that stemmed from deep roots in Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist culture. Initially, it took the form of providing for the needs of Asians, but soon branched out to aid Europeans, Africans, and Arabs in areas that were inadequately served by the state. The sense of nonracial social responsibility cultivated by Asians was backed by an effective methodology for its implementation. Among its tangible results were the creation of social, medical, and educational facilities designed for all without distinction of race or creed and communal support for literature and the arts. Gregory shows that the age of philanthropy in East Asia, nearly a century in length, terminated with the Asian exodus. The socialist and racial policies adopted by East African governments over the past three decades have virtually destroyed the foundation necessary for philanthropy as well as the distinct Asian cultural identity. At a time when disease, malnutrition, and ethnic and social inequality continue to plague Africa and much of the Third World, Gregory's account of the East Asians and the role of philanthropy deserves great attention and sober reflection

"An important contribu-tion to the literature on Asian communities in Africa, interesting and readable." —Richard S. Glotzer, The Journal of Asian Studies Asian participation in the development of East Africa is usually assessed in economic terms, but as Gregory's historical analysis shows, philanthropy was an important contribution, one that stemmed from deep roots in Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist culture. Initially, it took the form of providing for the needs of Asians, but soon philanthropy branched out to aid Europeans, Africans, and Arabs in areas that were inadequately served by the state.