Feeding Hippos

I bet this title caught most of you guys attention. Sorry to say, but this is not about us actually feeding hippos. It's about something much more important and relevant to our work here...

A few weeks ago while we were traveling around in the villages we were listening to a podcast relating to development in third world countries. We often times listen to podcasts for educational purposes, and it also helps to pass the time when we have an 8 hr drive ahead of us on pothole-filled roads. This particular podcast just so happened to be about an Italian aid project here in Zambia. It was a huge farming project started along the Zambezi River. The goal was to come in and teach local farmers how to grow tomatoes. Who better than the Italians to do so...right? They most certainly grow the best tomatoes in the world. So the project starts and it seems to be going wonderfully. The tomatoes are full grown and they are ready for harvesting. A few days later the workers show up to gather the tomatoes and find that they have all been eaten by hippos! The Italians are in shock, completely surprised. They ask the local (Zambian) farmers why they did not mention that this might happen and they said because YOU DID NOT ASK. The project failed...along with so many other projects started by good-willed people all because we show up thinking our way is the best way. We feel we know it all and don't need input from the people we are trying to help. If you come in thinking your way (aka the western way) is the best way, you will FAIL! You will end up "feeding the hippos" instead of improving the lives of the people you set out to help.

Allow me to get on my soapbox for just a moment. Poverty alleviation is a tricky and complex business. BILLIONS of dollars are spent on aid every year in Africa, and it's done little to ease the suffering. I firmly believe that throwing money at a problem is never a solution (only in extreme cases is it necessary and okay).  It may ease a conscience or give one the impression that they are helping, but, in fact, it's only hurting those we desire to help. So many of us have a desire to help others, and we really can make a huge difference in this world IF we make educated decisions. Jacob and I are big believers in empowering the people we work with. Water is only about 50% of what we do. You can't just give somebody clean water and not teach them how to use it in order to keep them from getting sick, etc. And that's why we spend the other 50% on teaching good sanitation & hygiene practices. It's just as important as the actual water. Also, it's just as important for the people to have ownership in order to feel empowered. It's essential that they are participating in their own growth and improvement. We spend a lot of time explaining that the borehole is theirs. We train them to maintain and repair the borehole, require the village to put in money (gov standard of 1,500 kwacha), set up a water committee, etc. all so the villagers don't feel that the borehole is Water 282's or the organization's who sponsored it. Sidenote: Jacob & I are not the ones on the ground doing any of our trainings. Water 282 employs Zambian trainers who are far more equipped to do the work than we are. We are simply in the background fueling, planning & preparing the work that needs to be done. One of the quotes we live by says "Never do for someone, what they can do for themselves". We don't do everything perfectly. We fall short sometimes and have to look back to figure out where things we went wrong. Like I said, aid work is very complex. We are always learning and trying to think of new ways to do things. We have amazing Zambian partners who enable us to make wise decisions and always keep us thinking outside the box. My plea is that we (westerners) start making smarter decisions when it comes to our additional charity giving and activities. Do your research beforehand, read a few books on aid, and pray! 

We ask that our visitors read two specific books before coming over here so I'd like to ask you the same. These two books changed everything for me when it comes to aid: Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton and When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. And, if you are in the same position as I was over a year ago - eager to jump into aid work and move to Africa to change the world - I BEG you to read these and every aid book you can get your hands on! I believe we can change the world, and it can start by making better choices. So let's stop throwing money at a problem when there's a better solution, stop giving away our old clothes, stop taking suitcases full of stuff to give away on short term mission trips (I am guilty of all of these things)! Handouts have single-handedly destroyed most, if not all, industry in the entire continent of Africa. I know what it's like to want to give that woman the clothes off your back or give that sweet little girl the $5 bill in your pocket, but stop & think next time...is there something else I can do, something better, that can change that persons world? (maybe it's as simple as praying over him/her or as scary as starting your own organization to fight against sex trafficking or giving to an organization that is spending your money wisely)

Off soapbox now :). Thanks for hanging in there with me! On a lighter note,  I'd like to wish my Grandmother Sue a very Happy Birthday (belated)!!! Love and miss you very much!

Love,

Libby