Contrary to the widely-held belief about our unrivalled generosity and compassion, Tanzanians are amongst the meanest people in Africa, according to the World Giving Index 2014.
Yet, interestingly, neighbouring Kenya—a nation we have all along associated with ruthless capitalism and self-centredness as opposed to Tanzania’s more humane socialist background—has emerged the most generous and compassionate on the continent.
The new study released by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) was conducted by the market research firm Gallup and included data from 135 countries across the globe that were collected throughout 2013.
Tanzania ranked 14th amongst the 24 African countries surveyed and 87th globally with just 27 per cent, far behind Kenya which tops the continent with 49 per cent that also put it at number 15 globally.
Kenya is followed by Nigeria which stands at number 21 globally with its overall 44 per cent score. At number three is Uganda which scored 40 per cent and stood at number 34.
The top three meanest countries are Tunisia and Egypt with 21 per cent each, putting the North African countries at number 120 globally, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo which stands at number 112 globally with its 22 per cent score. Notably, many of the countries Tanzania is ahead of are war-torn and volatile states.
In order to establish a rounded measure of giving behaviour, the researchers asked the respondents if they had done any of the following in the previous month prior to the study: donated money to a charity; volunteered their time to an organisation or helped a stranger, or someone they didn’t know who needed help.
Tanzania scored the highest in helping a stranger with 44 per cent followed by donating money, 23 per cent and the country performed worst in volunteering time to organisations, just 13 per cent. Kenya on the other hand, also scored the highest in helping a stranger with 67 per cent followed by donating money, 43 per cent and volunteering time with 37 per cent. Globally, the US shared first place ranking with Myanmar, both recording the score of 64 per cent which is the highest on record in the five year history index.
According to the report, the US is the only country to rank in the Top 10 for all three kinds of giving covered by the index: helping a stranger (1st), volunteering time (joint 5th) and donating money (9th).
Myanmar on the other hand, has improved on its joint second place reported in 2013, with an increase from 58 per cent to 64 per cent. Notably, the country’s lead ranking was mainly due to an extraordinarily high incidence of donating money, which has seen a further uplift this year to stand at 91 per cent from 85 per cent reported in last year’s report. Nine out of ten people within Myanmar follow the Theravada school of Buddhism, under which the lives of the Sangha (ordained monks and nuns) are supported by dana (charitable giving) by lay followers of the religion.
“This clearly translates into a strong culture of charity, with Myanmar ranked first for donating money and 13 percentage points ahead of the second placed country,” reads the report in part.
Sri Lanka, another country with a strong Theravada Buddhist community also ranked within the Top 10 of the World Giving Index. It is placed at number nine.
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