In the U.S. the average person lives on $90 a day while 40% of the world
lives on less than $2 a day (When Helping Hurts, pg. 42). DANG! How can you read
that and not feel like you were just hit by a truck full of reality?
Recently, I began reading When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. The book seeks to address how to effectively alleviate poverty without causing more harm to those being served or the individuals serving. Now, I am only on chapter 2 but have already been blown away by some of the content.
I feel I have a pretty good idea about helping the more marginalized populations of the world. I have taken many classes and had many experiences in these areas. But all of these have been from a North American, middle class, educated perspective. Books I have read, classes I have taken, and organizations I have worked with have all been from people fitting this criteria. How much do I really know?
When we look at the dollar per day statistic I understand the value of a dollar changes in the every country. I have been in countries where a few bucks would buy me a large dinner while in America it buys me a snack. I get that it costs more to live here than other areas of the world. I also get that we have a lot of luxuries that we get for those $90 a day. My point is, how can someone coming from a population that averages such a large daily living amount think they can effectively understand the life of someone living on a number massively smaller?
Corbett and Fikkert present a study done by the World Bank that looks at how individuals VIEW poverty. Being from this North American, affluent society we typically look at people living in poverty as not having clothes, food, water, housing, etc. All MATERIAL things. Don't get me wrong, this is often true, however, its not how the individuals living in those situations view poverty. They see it as not having a voice, being ashamed, feeling powerless. The people in poverty stricken situations see the PSYCHOLOGICAL effects. Yes, the material, worldly things are there, but that isn't what is on their mind.
Honestly, I think we view it this way because we come from a society where what clothes you wear matters, what house you live in matters, what you eat matters. We have lost the importance of people. We do not look at individuals in poverty as PEOPLE! If we want to effectively alleviate poverty we have to look at the root issues. You can meet someone's physical needs, which is important in the short run, but can you help them advance as people? Ask them what they want, find ways to let them be part of the programs being implemented, let them have a say in how things are done.
In job searching, I have often come across amazing programs that only hire locals in the communities they work in. Selfishly this frustrates me because I want to be a part of the work they are doing; I want a chance to serve that area. But realistically, they are doing the right thing! These organizations are teaching people to fish instead of just giving them one for dinner. These are the organizations that get it.
We have a long way to go to alleviate poverty in our world, but if we continue to look at problems from our own viewpoint instead of the viewpoint of those dealing with the issues everyday, than we are merely creating more problems for the future. I have walked away from numerous situations where I thought I was
serving others when really, they taught me WAY more than I could ever
teach them. We need to build relationships, get involved without giving an opinion, leave your own ideas behind, and open your ears. We can learn a lot from others if we step aside from ourselves and allow them to teach us.
