Working Together

Last May, I had the opportunity to travel to a completely new world for me. I spent two, life-changing, months in Kenya. Kenya is on the east coast of Africa and draws all sorts of people year around. We realized most tourists were there to go on a Safari (which translates to journey in Swahili). But, we saw a number of muzungus (white people) that were in Kenya to volunteer their time for the Kenyan people. At first, I did not know what to expect when we got to this country. I had my preconceived notions about developing countries and the pictures I have seen online or in documentaries. But, I wanted to experience first hand what it was like to be in this country. My friend and I met people from all walks of life. We met businesspeople, pastors, school children, women dying of AIDS, and homeless and orphaned children. This trip was not easy to enjoy. I did not realize how impoverished these people were and the true meaning of what it means to go hungry until I met people from this country. But, there was something else, something on the other side of the spectrum. These people were the most giving, thankful, and faithful people I had ever met. You really see what is important to you, when you do not have much of anything.

I kept asking how Kenya, and most of Africa, got into this cycle of poverty that they can never seem to stop. There obviously isn’t one simple answer or even just one answer. But, obviously us muzungus coming into their land and trying to “fix” them was not working very well. What was a system or way of doing things that could really help these people? I got some answers to my questions when we helped out with one organization while we were there. This organization, ZOE, helps orphans sustain themselves and helps them with accumulating a skill to make an income.  We talked to orphans that successfully went through this program and now are able to feed themselves and their siblings. One boy we met, who was only eighteen, starting tearing up when he said because of the business he started, he could afford the school uniform and shoes for his siblings. They had never had shoes until he got this opportunity. But, what was special about THIS particular program? It wasn’t an idea that had never been tried before and it wasn’t hard to teach people a skill. So what made this organization so successful?

This is one of the orphans that this organization has helped in creating a better life for himself and his siblings.

The key to this success was that they worked with people from the community the orphans came from. These people were taught specific tools and trades from “professionals” and then could help these kids help themselves. Once I realized that people from the United States were funding the project and teaching people in the community how to go out and help these kids, this all made sense. How can we expect to go in and change this cycle if we do not even know the first thing behind their lives, their hardships, and their culture?

The role of non-professionals AND professionals, in this setting, was the only thing that would have worked. I do not even know how people think of a program without including the people they want to help. Just because you received an education, have money, and the right resources, does not mean that your target population cannot contribute to your efforts.

This is not only for organizations and endeavors abroad, this is relevant for problem solving in the United States as well. In the words of Richard Florida, “we’d be much better off enabling residents to take control of and build on community assets, engaging them in community-based organizations that can spearhead revitalization and build real quality of place.” This is what the organization in Kenya did, and now it is helping children in over six African countries. They were not afraid to take a step back and realize that the “professionals” did not have all the answers.

When professionals and non-professionals work together, a population can be assisted with gaining greater access to vital resources. The orphans in Kenya have this access now. Not only do they just have access to food, clothing, and shelter, they are creating the resources to give them these basic needs. It’s fine to go into a community, where people are starving or being taken advantage of, and bring them temporary supplies. But, when you teach people the tools to create the     resources for themselves is how you really improve their lives.    Image Credit: Digitalgroundup

In the article, “Culture of Poverty Makes a Comeback,” it is interesting to note that the writer argues that there is something to be said for the idea that people’s attitudes and behaviors keep them poor. She quotes William Julius Wilson’s definition of culture. He says culture is when “individuals in a community develop an understanding of how the world works and make decisions based on that understanding.” This point does make sense, but I believe people’s understanding of the world can change. This can happen when professionals work with people in the community they want to help. By working together, people can change the perception of what they think they can accomplish to what they can actually accomplish. The culture of poverty is one of the theories of poverty. But, what if people took the time to change this culture to one of success and I can do this, and not failure and I can’t do this. I cannot imagine growing up in a community or area that people do not believe in themselves and think that this is the life that they were meant to live. If just a few of those people’s mindsets changed, this culture of poverty could be dramatically reduced. This brings up the theme that Maurice Isserman writes about in his article, “Poverty of an Idea.” Isserman shies away from the idea of poverty as a culture. Instead, he argues that poverty is situational and that poverty is more about society and larger institutions. No matter the take on poverty you agree with, people have to work together to rise from poverty. The professionals that have the resources, the education, and the money can spread it amongst the non-professionals with the love and knowledge of the community and it’s people. Together is the only way to fight poverty and completely transform people’s lives.

Image Credit: Cleaningcredit

Links to get more information from the issues touched upon:

Zoe Ministries Website- an overlook on what this organization's mission and accomplishments are. It highlights their programs around the world and what they are doing to help orphans in many countries in Africa.

A blog about the Culture of Poverty from an organization called iOnPoverty, an organization that participates in impact videos to help spread the word about poverty and what we can do to stop it.

A very interesting article from Mother Jones, that breaks down the Culture of Poverty theory and asks for a contemporary take on this idea.