Today millions of bloggers and their readers are engaged in a worldwide discussion on the subject of poverty, the topic of Blog Action Day 2008.
As a staff person at a non-profit organization that supports indigenous communities around the world, I am very privileged to work with a group of inspirational people on projects that address issues such as this.
The main thing I have learned in taking part in these projects is this: we all should feel personally empowered to combat poverty in this world.
Here’s an example: on a recent program in Peru, our Executive Director visited a very poor village in the Andes Mountains with a group of travelers. As she tells it,
“Upon our arrival, the president of the village came out to greet us. We brought tablets of paper, pencils and sharpeners for all the kids in the village. The president of the community made a very sincere thank you speech for the gifts, stating that every bit made a difference. However, I felt like these gifts were a small gesture, and so I asked the president point blank, “What do you really need in Usabamba?†“Nutrition is our biggest problem,†he answered solemnly. A glance at the children, waiting patiently in line, verified this fact. A buzz went through our group of travelers as we brainstormed for an answer. A donation of cows to meet their daily milk needs seemed a viable solution. “How many families live in the village?†I inquired. “Thirty†he quickly replied. “So, we need thirty cows?†“No,†he replied, “one cow can provide milk for five families.†“Then we need six cows total.†I asked. “Yes, six cows.†He smiled.
Six cows will change the health of this community forever. I looked at my group and everyone was beaming, the thought of “we can do this†on everyone’s mind. Steve Havas, a father traveling with his 12 year old daughter, was standing next to me. “Count me in for a cow,†he said, “and maybe Tess’s class can earn the money for anotherâ€. The president’s eyes radiated with gratitude as I said, “We will have 6 cows for you come Octoberâ€. As we rumbled back down the dirt road to Chinchero, there was a lot of excitement in the group as we plotted how many cows this small group could donate.”
The project has taken off and donations are pouring in, both large and small, to directly address the situation of poverty in this village. In preparation to receive their new herd, the village is educating themselves in animal husbandry, planting appropriate crops to feed the livestock, and even looking down the road at the possibility of beginning a cheese-making business.
My takeaway from this: empowerment.
It’s so easy to get depressed by all this talk of the economy, and images on TV of emaciated children with flies on their faces do little to feed a sense of hope for the future.
I think it is vital to tap into a sense of empowerment, to realize that though we may not have much, we are able to help others. We need only open our eyes, look around and ask – what do you really need?
And in asking that, we also empower those in poverty by supporting what will be a long-term, sustainable path to prosperity.