MARADI, Niger (CNN) -- The United Nations on Thursday will begin airlifting 44 tons of emergency food rations to famine-stricken Niger in West Africa, where 80,000 people are starving and more than a million others are at risk, officials said.

The emergency rations will be flown from Italy into the capital of Niamey, where a convoy of trucks will carry the supplies more than 400 miles (660 kilometers) south to Maradi, one of the hardest-hit areas.

According to the United Nations, Niger is suffering from a poor rainy season and devastation to its crops and grazing land from the worst locust invasion in 15 years.

The U.N. World Food Program's country director for Niger, Giancarlo Cirri, called the situation "some of the worst hunger I have ever witnessed."

WFP plans to deliver 23,000 tons of food to 19 famine-stricken districts in Niger during a five-week period. International food aid began arriving last week.

At a nutritional center in Maradi, Soulima Ouseman, 48, said her four daughters starved to death, and she cannot remember the last time she ate a real meal. (Behind the Scenes)

"We were left with no choice but to eat leaves and grass in the bush," she said. "But even here we're still hungry. Please help us."

I actually agree with many that the solution to solving Africa's Problems are not just throwing money at the issue. As my Nigerian 419 Emails show, there is just so much corruption in many African Countries, that sending money often ends up with the money in the hands of people who don't have the best interest of the most needy in mind. The 419 Operations are often run by people in Government, or are ignored by law enforcement and politicos who often get kickbacks.

I don't pretend to know the answers to how to solve the problems of poverty, disease and famine in these countries. But I do know that more effort needs to be put into direct support of agencies that are making a difference, instead of block grants that end up lining the pockets of the corrupt.

I was asked yesterday by a friend who is former local head of Intel Capital, what would be my ideal job. I told him that I would be perfectly happy spending the rest of my life trying to help poor children in Costa Rica improve their educations via technology. I would shutter Grupo Utopia tommorow if I could figure out a way to do that.

I would love the opportunity to travel to remote parts of this country, and to other areas in Latin America and help poor kids to learn and understand technology and personal computers.

What we need in Africa I believe, is a focus on solutions... Providing people with their immediate needs for shelter and food, and introducing technology and education to help them to self sustain.

Anyway, if you want to help with relief for Niger, check here as a start.

If you are interested in my vision of Technology Literacy for poor kids in Latin America, contact me.