Going home, where the NYC winters aren’t bleeding me
Investing in small, locally run businesses is the best thing individuals can do for my country. I would like to partner with some friends here and start an enterprise in my home village of Chobo.
A missionary couple who has been in their village for over 20 years asked me how I would handle the jealousy this enterprise would cause. I was incredulous when they gave me this example.
‘We have several boxes of clothing to give away that have been in storage for several months now. We haven’t given the clothes away to the villagers because doing so will only invoke jealousy and quarrelling between those who received something and those who haven’t. You know how these people are. In fact, we have pretty much decided that we will just burn the boxes of clothes.’
wow
How can that be? We never had that problem with clothing. We gave to those who asked for help and to our knowledge there was never any quarreling. Can it be that people in your area are so different? However, we did have problems with famine aid. When we received money from churches in Europe, and bought grain for distribution, this was usually a problem. Even though we always let local people organize things, it was difficult to find a way of distribution that benefited the poorest, when everybody suffered and felt poor and in need of help.
Jutta
28 Mar 09 at 6:34 pm
P.S. I love the picture!
Jutta
28 Mar 09 at 6:34 pm
It isn’t. I think that the problem lies with the person who posed the question.
Kari
28 Mar 09 at 7:34 pm
thanks, jutta:)
Kari
28 Mar 09 at 7:35 pm
How sad! Tell them to send the boxes to me. I can think of many people who would know how to distribute them without causing quarrels.
Jutta
29 Mar 09 at 12:06 am
Love the picture!!! Hummh
Gorgui
29 Mar 09 at 9:09 am
i will suggest that. great idea.
kari
29 Mar 09 at 9:13 am
i am blown away by that, cannot get over it. talk about condescending. why give anyone anything ever, since you have no control how anyone anywhere will react to a gift and someone might get envious? i really have no words right now.
would love to talk to you soon. skype me.
joie
29 Mar 09 at 4:13 pm
seriously. i’ll be on skype monday night, afternoon for you.
kari
29 Mar 09 at 9:34 pm
wow, this is something that i have heard missionaries say before too. the way my parents handled giving things away was to give everything to one person in the village, with the promise that he would fairly distribute it. i never heard even a whisper of quarrelling from the village.
ryan and i sent over $1000 to a missionary in tonguia to buy food (and medical supplies) for the village because they were in famine, and because they are ryan’s people. at first the missionary was hesitant, basically saying the same thing your person said. but we insisted that she buy the food and supplies that the village needed, and that she give everything to one trustworthy person who could distribute it to everyone. it worked out very well, and they were all so thankful to us! they even got together with the missionary and sent a “thank you” email through her to us. it was an amazing thing!
(i will attach the village thank you in an email to you, kari!)
bonnie
30 Mar 09 at 7:25 pm
over 20 years and without a clue. amazing.
Diane
31 Mar 09 at 3:25 pm
Sad to hear that attitude exists; but it’s not the dominant viewpoint, right?
Taylor Davidson
7 Apr 09 at 3:02 am
it has been, actually. and sadly. but the viewpoint is changing with the generation.
kari
11 Apr 09 at 4:54 pm