The Naked Southern Child
By Hannilie Zulu

The naked child is NOT naked in the Southern tropics
The naked child is only playing in the heat of the burning sun
The naked child does not need old or new clothes to cover up in the heat
The naked Southern child is a child in your heart with dreams and hopes

So what life do you have if you are to earn your living on this naked child?
What life do you have if you have to make a name from this naked child?
What life do you have if you all rush to catch the plane to save this naked child from the "heat"?

What life do you have if you spend hours reading papers on how to save the naked child?

What life do you have if you have to heap second hand clothes, pills, vaccines & GMO on the naked child?

What life do you have if you put up strategies to hinder the naked child from aspiring?
What life do you have if you take competitive nude pictures of the naked child for your organisations?

What life do you have if you have to be a great singer that earns hard cash on lying about the Southern naked child

In the burning heat water is privatised and taken away from the thirsty and naked child

Water is not sweet and it is more expensive than Coca-cola in the South
Having no choice the thirsty naked child chooses Coca-cola
When he feels sweaty he can only dream of taking a bath from the cold bottle of Coca-Cola

While in the North everyone is happy for building up the Coca-Cola industry to save the poor

And Mother Nature looks around and says; "here are a Noble people whose values
Are turned into Second hand clothes, Coca-cola & McDonalds for Globalisation's sakes
And a million mobile phones.

I have not spoken Graham Hancock or Ross Coggins on the Development Set; from the book, 'Lords of Poverty'. Or the publisher for permission to use this poem. But I use it under the educational use exemption copyright law.

The Development Set
By Ross CogginsAdult Education and Development September 1976

Excuse me, friends, I must catch my jet
I'm off to join the Development Set;
My bags are packed, and I've had all my shots
I have traveller's checks and pills for the trots!

The Development Set is bright and noble
Our thoughts are deep and our vision global;
Although we move with the better classes
Our thoughts are always with the masses.

In Sheraton Hotels in scattered nations
We damn multi-national corporations;
injustice seems easy to protest
In such seething hotbeds of social rest.

We discuss malnutrition over steaks
And plan hunger talks during coffee breaks.
Whether Asian floods or African drought,
We face each issue with open mouth.

We bring in consultants whose circumlocution
Raises difficulties for every solution --
Thus guaranteeing continued good eating
By showing the need for another meeting.

The language of the Development Set
Stretches the English alphabet;
We use swell words like "epigenetic"
"Micro", "macro", and "logarithmetic"

It pleasures us to be esoteric --
It's so intellectually atmospheric!
And although establishments may be unmoved,
Our vocabularies are much improved.

When the talk gets deep and you're feeling numb,
You can keep your shame to a minimum:
To show that you, too, are intelligent
Smugly ask, "Is it really development?"

Or say, "That's fine in practice, but don't you see:
It doesn't work out in theory!"
A few may find this incomprehensible,
But most will admire you as deep and sensible.

Development set homes are extremely chic,
Full of carvings, curios, and draped with batik.
Eye-level photographs subtly assure
That your host is at home with the great and the poor.

Enough of these verses - on with the mission!
Our task is as broad as the human condition!
Just pray god the biblical promise is true:
The poor ye shall always have with you.