We Can’t Afford to Forget Africa

Most Americans don’t spend time giving much thought to Africa. But from my recent trip to Africa, I think they should.Twenty years ago, the venerable Economist magazine called it the “Hopeless Continent.” Even today, stories of poverty, disease, dictatorial states, and corruption often engender feelings of fatalism or exasperation. Here is what many people are missing. Information technology -- especially mobile phones -- is connecting African farmers and producers to new marke