An Ode to Kevin

Today is a day ended with legitimate gratefulness to be alive. Leilah and I, along with our less than trusty boda driver, our backpacks, our purses and a few other things piled onto a moped and took a 20 mile journey through the African bush. Our dirty, sunburned selves were greeted by a dozen happy children, welcoming us back with bear hugs. We sang and danced. And now I sit here, still dirty and now a little sweaty, very happy to be alive, am going to share with you my wealth of knowledge (sarcasm here) about how to make foreign aide work.

I have been running out of things to write about. Not to imply that their is nothing note-worthy taking place here. I could write four pages on how much I love Justine and how the things he says make my heart explode with joy. How Norbert's life at eleven has been more difficult than any other story of an individual I have ever heard. How much eating rice and beans twice a day is making me appreciate simplicity, being content, and the deliciousness of food all at once. The possibilities are pretty much endless. So if there is by any chance anything you want to hear about, please tell me!

Now to follow Kevin's request:

Reading every morning and night has proven to be a habit for most of us. A few of the books we share are about social justice and aide. This is where I pull a little bit of what I now believe to be sound advice, but most of it comes from living in the midst of a well-run NGO.

Thing One: As few white people as possible.

People need to be educated, buildings need to be built, and food needs to be grown by their own people. That way, things are done culturally appropriately, and they are set up in a way that will work for them. Looking at things practically, bringing in other ideas from the West is sometimes necessary. And it's good. As long as people are equipped to teach, built, and grow, and can teach others how to.

Thing Two: Education, education, education.

Geared towards the next generation, and moms. When people are expected to do well, and told they can, incredible things happen. Especially in places where knowledge is not so accessible. We teach English, and I have never seen ten year old kids so engaged, focused, and excited to learn about verbs. They are future social workers, lawyers, doctors, politicians, if only someone gives a damn and educates them. Things like health care fall under this category. There is a ton of value in short-term medical missions. Awesome. Do it. But real change will happen when more Ugandans and Cambodians and Haitians go to medical school and can help their own people. It all starts with some kind of school. Because of a micro-loan from my grandma a single mom can go to school to become a seamstress and afford her babies anti-malarial medicine from a doctor whose education was paid for by a couple from Tallahassee who wanted to do something nice, which brings me to my next point...

Thing Three: People to people

It works both ways. When there is a face to a sponsor, when there is a face to the person you are helping feed and educate, things change. It's no longer a meal or a check written for charity. It is someone you can love, pray for, hear from.

Thing four: Projects

Wells, beads, schools, and banana fiber menstrual pads get attention. People like supporting something when they know where their money is going directly. And finally...

Thing Five: "Come and See"

If we want things to change, we have to start with ourselves. If you want to love the poor, you have to meet them, get to know them. See that they are just like you and I, and are just stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty. We can change their circumstances. With thirty bucks we can buy a new pair of jeans we don't need or we can lend it to a kid in Africa to go to driving school so that he can take care of his siblings.

Now. Let me re-state that I know very little about all this, am probably wrong about a lot of things, and excluding a lot of really important things.

Shalom!