Neti, this thread has moved from ought we to give to the poor of Africa, to discussions about political and now criminal activities within them. Of course there should be refuges for abused women ( that applies everywhere) but that is a far cry from suggesting that you 'seperate men and women because of the high birth rate'. The Catholic church needs to get it's sordid act together and stop preaching nonsense about contraception, and educaiton is the way forward, but you still cannot forcibly change another race's culture just because it doesn't fit into your own ideal. People in Africa have a different perspective on things than those of us in the West, and often see a large family as a necessity so that there is someone to look after them in their old age as they have no welfare state. You can't just go and make sweeping decisions on behalf of people who would be really appalled about the ideas you have of them.