Larry, I can tell you have a great heart that really wants to...
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Reply to Msg 13745
Larry,
I can tell you have a great heart that really wants to make a difference in the lives of others, but I also have the feeling that you and your organization are still going to do what you are set to to do regardless what Linda or anyone else says.
I have a big problem with missionaries/foreign groups spending much of their time reading books with the intention copycat projects from one part of the world to Haiti, or from one part of Haiti to the next.This is exactly the kind of philosophical theology model that has been used in third world countries for centuries.
It doesn't work and never will work.
In 1995, when I started my humanitarian project in Haiti, there was a gropu of volunteers who went down to Haiti to volunteer in the project.
Some of these people stayed down there for up to 6 months.
Before they went, I gave them a crash course about the Haitian culture, the dos and donts.
Upon their arrival, they disregarded everything that was said and discussed and started using and applying their American philosophy, principles and their American ways of doing things.
They completely dismissed the inputs and the participation of the local people.
A long story short, things started to go downward so badly they were asked to leave.
I was compelled to go down there to calm things down. Their unspoken attitude was like saying, we are white Americans, we are well educated and we know how to do, and you (the local people) are a bunch of illeterates, dumb, stupid, and poor people therfore you can't tell us what to do. They were feeling somewhat humiliated to get advice from the local Haitians.
The true of the matter is, just because someone is illeterate and poor doesn't mean the person is dumb and stupid.
After all, this is their country, they were born there and grew up there, shouldn't foreigners know the local people should know something about their towns, cities, and villages?
Like any other country, Haiti is unique, and you must communicate with the local people.
They must know what works and what doesn't work in their towns, cities, and villages.
You might be able to teach them some new and different skills to farm, and plant certain crops, but don't insist on growing grapfruits if the area is not able to grow grapfruits.
You seem to be extremely interested in growing grapefruits so you can make flour, but do you care to listen and understand that maybe the local people don't care much about grapefruit flour?
It is because you are so interested to have the entire population into eating grapefruit flour?
Larry do you really know how long it takes a grapefruit tree to grow to the point where it can start making grapefruits?
A lifetime!
Did you know coffee and cacao grow much faster than grapefruits?
Tiba, March 25 2009, 7:55 PM
Topic: seeking economic security for Cerca la Source
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