Sending Money to Africa: Why Some Young People in the Diaspora Want to Stop

Sending money to family in Africa is presented in Tobeh’s video as a practice that is now prompting intense discussion within some African diasporas. Testimonies featured in the video express a firm refusal to continue these transfers once the parents’ generation is gone. Other voices, on the other hand, believe it is difficult to ignore the needs of relatives who sometimes live in very precarious conditions.

The issue is therefore not simply a matter of generosity versus selfishness. It also concerns the pressure felt by people living in Europe or Canada, their own financial difficulties, family expectations and the actual use of the money sent.

Why some young people no longer want to send money back home

In the excerpts cited, several young people say they no longer want to send money “back home.” Their position is rooted first and foremost in their family experience: they say they grew up in households where resources seemed limited, while regularly seeing transfers sent to relatives who remained in Africa.

For these individuals, the needs of the household living in the West are not necessarily secondary. They mention clothing, school supplies and even a phone. In some testimonies, the sense of unfairness becomes stronger during holidays: personal belongings or clothing are requested to be left behind for cousins or other family members.

These accounts do not describe a single reality. Rather, they illustrate the gap that some children of immigrants feel between the solidarity practiced by their parents and their own priorities. Several say they do not know the relatives involved well enough or did not grow up in Africa. This distance can make the duty to help seem less obvious to them.

The difficulty of balancing family support and personal life

The video emphasizes one point: living in the West does not necessarily mean having a comfortable income. According to the testimonies reported, finding a job can be difficult, and a salary does not always cover all everyday needs.

In this context, regular transfers are seen by some as a constraint that limits their ability to save, invest or simply build their future. One of the examples cited concerns a person who, according to the video, sent 700 euros per month to their family while earning a salary of 1,400 euros. This case is presented as having had consequences for their relationship.

Another testimony refers to employees who receive numerous family requests from their very first month of work. Tobeh then describes a form of “invisible contract”: the person living in Europe would feel indebted because they are considered to have more opportunities than relatives who remained back home.

According to the speakers cited, this moral obligation can be particularly burdensome for those from poor families. They explain that they have to help without being able to rely on comparable support themselves. And when a person succeeds professionally, expectations would not necessarily decrease; on the contrary, they could become greater.

A reminder of the real needs of families remaining in Africa

The video does not offer a one-sided view of the phenomenon. Several comments featured consider the idea of completely cutting off transfers to be shocking. They point out that some families live in poverty, do not always have enough to eat and do not have the same job opportunities as people living in France or other Western countries.

One argument put forward is the potential impact of an amount that may seem limited to an employee in Europe. The video mentions, by way of example, 200 euros, or 120,000 francs according to the speaker, as an amount that could make a major difference for a family in Africa.

The debate is therefore less about the idea of helping than about the limits of that help. For some, family solidarity remains a necessity in the face of urgent needs: food, healthcare, education or essential expenses. Refusing all assistance, whatever the circumstances, then appears difficult to accept for those who defend this position.

When help becomes dependency

One of the most recurring criticisms concerns how the money sent is used. People interviewed or cited in the video distinguish between helping a grandmother, funding a health need or supporting education, and responding to requests considered non-essential.

In this second category, the video mentions phones, clothing, weddings, baptisms and births. Investor YouTuber Philippe Simon, cited in the video, believes it is possible to say no when the request is not for a vital need. This position is attributed to him in the transcript.

The risk raised is that of an endless cycle. When money is used for rent, electricity or food, it is quickly spent and another request may come the following month. Some participants in the debate believe that this repetition fosters dependency rather than enabling a lasting improvement in the situation.

One reported testimony mentions 500 euros sent to restock a business, a large portion of which was then allegedly given to a church after a promise that the business would prosper. This example is presented as one person’s experience, not as a rule applicable to all families or all transfers.

Prioritizing independence over endless transfers?

Faced with this situation, several speakers in the video advocate helping relatives become self-sufficient. One of them says he tried to develop small businesses in Africa, including poultry farming, with the aim of ensuring that his family would need to ask for money less often each month.

In the video, this approach is presented as an alternative to regular transfers of 200 or 300 euros. The goal is not to deny immediate needs, but to seek a solution that does not rely solely on repeated transfers. However, the success of such an approach is not guaranteed in the transcript, and no general outcome is claimed.

The debate is also tied to trust. Some are happy to help when they know what the money is intended for. Others say they are reluctant when they feel that adults capable of working mainly expect support from family members living abroad.

Two generations, two relationships with family duty

Tobeh’s conclusion highlights an opposition between two extremes. On one side are parents who left difficult living conditions and who continue to feel responsible for their family back home. The video recalls that some people took significant risks to migrate, hoping to provide for their relatives and build a better future.

On the other side are young people in the diaspora who say they want to break with this model. Some believe that their generation will not continue the transfers made by their parents. They cite their lack of connection with certain family members, their own cost of living and the difficulties they witnessed in their household during childhood.

Between these two positions, the video raises a central question: how can family solidarity be maintained without systematically sacrificing one’s stability, relationship, savings or personal plans? It does not offer a definitive answer. Above all, it shows that sending money to Africa can be experienced as indispensable support, a moral duty, pressure, or sometimes all three at once.

FAQ

Why do some young people in the diaspora refuse to send money to Africa?

In the testimonies featured, they mention their own financial difficulties, the feeling that they saw their parents go without, their lack of connection with certain relatives and the fear of never being able to save or move forward with their plans.

Does the video criticize all support sent to families in Africa?

No. Several speakers point out that families may need help to eat, receive healthcare or fund education. The criticism mainly targets repeated requests, expenses considered non-essential and situations of dependency.

What alternative to regular transfers is mentioned?

The video presents the idea of supporting relatives’ independence, for example through small projects or economic activities. It presents this option as a possible way to reduce monthly requests, without guaranteeing that it works in every case.