Friday, March 2, 2012

Facing wealth and affluence


On thing I often struggle with here in my work in Kenya is coming to terms with my own affluence. 

Even in Canada I am fully aware that I am among the top 1% of the world (in terms of wealth, freedom, and opportunity) having been born in Canada to a middle-class family and having the opportunity to complete a university degree. Having travelled to developing countries in the past and confronting statistics in my studies I am fully aware of my status and wealth; but it is different when you are confronting these stark inequalities personally and daily. 

In my field visits I speak to beneficiaries of relief projects. Their communities are targeted as the poorest and most vulnerable to the effects of drought; and moreover the beneficiaries themselves are sleeted amongst a community as the most vulnerable: often single mothers, widows and households caring for orphans. 

I ask them questions about the effects of last year's drought, and how it was common to go with one meal or no meals in a day; to travel distances of around 8km (sometimes more) to get water that isn't clean to begin with; and how they haven't harvested a single kilo of maize from their fields.

Meanwhile, I arrive to these sites in an SUV with water bottles and often snacks like fruit and crackers. I bring my camera and backpack with books and even an ipod. The fuel alone costs more than some of the recipients make in a few months. 

When I return to my place, a more-than-comfortable house or hotel, I regularly speak with guards or maids. The other night I had a conversation with an askari (a security guard) watching the gate. I found out he was just a year older than I and how his real hope was to study in university and start a business. He told me, "I want to be a somebody" looking completely defeated. We shared a bit about his home in Western Kenya, he was brought to Mombasa area for his security guard work where we works night shifts mostly. I told him a bit about Canada and he was shocked I had already finished university. The conversation got more difficult after than as he asked if there are ways in which I can help him get to Canada.

This is not unusual at all. In fact, I get that question frequently, almost daily: "how can I get to Canada?" "Can you get me a plane ticket?". For many people, their hope lies far away from Kenya in a place like Canada, or where other white people live. The town I live in on the coast has quite a few tourists. As a single guy I often get approached by young beautiful African girls asking if I want to "spend time with them". I've begun to learn it is even uncommon to not see European-tourists with a Kenyan 'girlfriend' or even Kenyan 'boyfriend'. While my first reaction is to look down on these Kenyans (and scold the tourists) I've learned in my conversations with Kenyans, that most understand perfectly why they do it, and how acceptable it is to them. Getting the attention of a tourist or even marrying one opens many doors that some only dream of.

In other parts of this town, beggars are constantly asking for money or other things (one night two men approached my at a restaurant and asked to clean my plate off). Often these people are young mothers, young children, people who are crippled or severely sick, sometimes even showing exposed sores. If I was to give to all of them, I wouldn't have anything left…or that's what I tell myself. Sometimes I convince myself they don't actually need it or it will perpetuate a bad cycle; despite some truth to that, each and every one of them can certainly use my shillings more than I. I find the need and disparity of all of these people to be overwhelming that I tend to de-sensitive myself to it all. The easiest way to move along is ignoring them; it's what most tourist do.

While my heart often aches for these people, I don't even know what to do, or how to give in an effective or responsible way. Where/how can I best use my money, time, efforts and love? Should I just empty my wallet (or bank account for that matter) to a community group that isn't asking but can clearly use it?; do I give my clothes to a begger or street kid? Do I go home and fundraise for a borehole?  What about when helping hurts? Should generosity even be this complex? 

I also try to ask myself what 'poverty' really is. With billions of dollars floating from developed to developing countries in the form of donations, development or aid, loans, grants, and more I think it's important to think conceptually about poverty. While I certainly don't have an answer I am learning it is much more than wealth, money and possessions. Many students (and families) accumulate debt and call themselves 'poor'. While some many be running a debt, they have so much more; things I never realized at first: Beyond my own physical wealth and possessions I also have a supporting and loving family, a stable (mostly-transparent) government to provide me with safety nets and health care, strong connections and networks, a healthy natural environment, an encouraging and loving social network, excellent education, a bank account, access to loans, a passport and ID cards. I'm learning poverty in a small sense is a lack of money, but in a much larger sense also a lack of all of these other things. 

At first I found it difficult to know how to respond to poverty; now I am seeing it in a different lens: how do I respond to my own wealth. How do I use all of these blessings and gifts, this freedom and these choices and opportunity in a way that doesn't simply serve myself.


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A regular sight during a community visit: dancing, singing
[What makes things more difficult is the total warmth and joyful hospitality,  kindness, and generosity shown to me every day in so many different ways during my visits to communities. Here is just a few examples]:





Kenyans school children showing me their artwork depicting
 their lives before and after the water project

Given a chair and being fed goat and ugali by a
warm-welcoming community group

A community, expecting our arrival placed thousands of sticks on the
sandy road so that we could pass and not have to walk even 100m to see them. 
With a group of smiling community members at a water pan they built

And finally, a beautiful performance by school children
 

3 comments:

  1. touching, honest and thought provoking blog. moved me to tears.

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  2. Your words really speak to me. I couldn't express this feeling better myself. It can be so very overwhelming.

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  3. It's in looking at others that we critically assess ourselves. Provocative thoughts Geoff

    ReplyDelete