poverty

Twenty dollars that changed a life in India.

/ Ari Rocklin

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Ari Rocklin

Jim a tentmaker to India was used to seeing a man sitting by his scale all day long, hoping someone would come and use his services. For the equivalent of 10 cents, anyone could weigh themselves in a country where the majority cannot afford to buy a scale of their own.

One day Jim decided to sit down beside the man to simply get to know him and have an opportunity to practice Hindi. He learned that Ashok was actually renting the scale and was paying up to 90% of his days take to the owner of the scale. 

While Jim walked toward his own job he thought about Ashok’s business. How could he help Ashok earn a bigger slice of the pie? This thought did not leave him for weeks on end. Each morning and afternoon, Jim would make a point of sitting down beside Ashkok. They became fast friends.

Jim learned the complexity of Ashok’s business. The scale was owned by a man who had many scales in the city. He paid his workers a measly amount of the earnings. If the scale broke, the worker was in debt for months until repayment with high interest was made.

Jim desperately wanted to make a difference, so he went and bought Ashok a scale for $20. Fortunately he had done his homework before hand. If he had just given the scale as a gift, the renter of scales would simply have taken it away from Ashok, who would have no recourse nor police protection.

Before presenting the scale to Ashok, he went to the local police station and asked an officer to come with him to verify the business transaction between himself and Ashok. The policeman watched as Jim loaned the scale to Ashkok. A plan was developed by Jim that allowed Ashok to repay the loan in about six months. Then the loan paper was signed (fingerprinted) by Ashok. Having the policeman present afforded some protection for Ashkok, and having a foreigner involved added a bit more.

Before the six months was up, Ashok had saved enough of his earnings to pay back the full amount of the loan. Jim once again called on the policeman to witness the full repayment of the loan, had him sign the “paid in full” receipt together with Ashok and Jim. Then Jim made a few copies of the receipt and even had one copy laminated which Ashkok could keep as proof of ownership.

Today Ashok keeps 100% of his daily earnings and is proudly able to show everyone that he has paid back the loan in full. Imagine going from keeping 10% of your daily earnings to 100%. Jim continues to disciple Ashok and members of his family…

Principle: Do not be too quick to help, seek wise counsel from locals so that your gift of a loan does not cause difficulty or dependency. Real help requires getting to know people and involves discipling.

Tentmaker Development Worker’s Dilemma

/ Phill

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A tentmaker working for an international relief organization writes (us) about her frustration and pain as she struggles to deal with issues of poverty and justice while providing aid to people in the country where she is serving. How do you respond to the abject need? Does giving money to the beggar help meet his need, or just enable him to remain in a dependent state of poverty.

Welcome to the world of development and issues workers have agonized over for decades. Every thoughtful, caring development worker sooner or later in his career faces these issues.

Just having compassion is not enough. History is rife with stories of well-intentioned efforts to “fix” a problem by jumping in with western “can-do” spirit and changing things. The truth is there are no simple, one size fits all, solutions. Workers need to learn the culture and appropriate ways to live out their faith in it.

Thoughtful people in recipient countries are beginning to recognize that simply giving away stuff does not bring about lasting change. Two years ago a conference of African leaders begged Bono (See the “Africans to Bono”) and well meaning groups like his to stop giving Africa money and material aid. They requested instead assistance in developing skills and systems to help take care of themselves.

A work team from North America came to “help” construct a school for the children in a poor rural community. They had grandiose plans for how quickly, with their expertise, they could build a school for the community. They were very upset when told they could not bring their power tools and finish the building in a week. Nor would they take their picture in front of the new school before leaving. It was a blow to their egos.

Rather, they would work along-side the villagers using the hand-tools available in the community. Concrete would be mixed with a shovel and block cut with a machete, instead of the power tools they were accustomed to using. The school would not be completed while they were there so that the villagers would finish it after they left. The community would know that they had done the project themselves and would be able to do it again when necessary. The work team came to help and share of themselves with the village, not to do for the village.

As they worked along with the parents and took breaks to play with the children new relationships were formed. When these accomplished craftsmen left, their project was not yet finished. But there was a special link with the people of the community and tears of sadness at their departure. They came to build a school and instead built bonds of love into the community.

Fundamental change has to take place internally if we are to see lasting results. People have to take ownership of their problems. There must be a change in worldview or mindset. This kind of change takes time and personal relationship. These deeper transformations will lead to changes in the internal social structures and result in real change.

While not written specifically for development workers, LifeWork: A Biblical Theology for what You Do Every Day, discusses God’s plan for followers of Christ to live out their faith in everything they do. When Christ’s followers live out their faith, the transformation the world needs will follow – at home or abroad.