Wisdom from an atheist – on Africa, ideology, faith, and transformation

My friend Jim Henderson sent me this link – great article by Matthew Paris, which matches my perceptions as well, both in Africa and elsewhere.
Top quotes:

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the know-how that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.
And I’m afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

A commenter added,

“Africa needs Christ to save them from the tribe. The west needs Christ to save them from the individual. ”