If you prick us, do we not bleed?
This week has been filled with seeing a number of the projects that Emmanuel International is doing here in Malawi. After seeing so many of the good things we are involved in, I am more excited to begin my job as the Finance Director, as there is much more intrinsic reward knowing that I am contributing to helping so many people. On Monday, we got to learn about the pastoral training program that EI is involved in, that helps equip the pastors and leaders of communities that had not previously been given the opportunity to be educated in basic theology. I also got a Chichewa Bible, which will help me with the language. Working in the office will not really require me to learn the language, but I am still going to learn some of the basics. On Tuesday, we went out to one of the villages to see the rehabilitation of a well that was installed by the government, and had broken down. Yesterday, we got to see some of my favourite projects yet, outside of Liwonde. We went out with the agriculture team to see a number of planting projects for maize, cotton, and a number of other crops, including techniques on how to water the land, how to fertilize it using a certain type of tree leaves, etc. The was also some replanting of trees and reforestation (many of the trees in Malawi are being burned and not replaced, resulting in a possible tree shortage), and also some bee keeping, so that the community can sell the honey. I will be staying in one of these villages next weekend so I can more fully experience village lifestyle. It was so gratifying to meet some members of one of the villages and hear them express their gratitude to us for our help. It is amazing to be a part of empowering people towards self sustaining methods of farming. A big part of things is education, and teaching the importance of long term planning, and this can be difficult because of the severe immediate needs. For example, it is hard to get someone to preserve seeds for the next year when the family is starving and those seeds can be used as food. Also, farmers will sometimes sell their farm equipment in order to buy food to eat today, without being able to provide for tomorrow. So many challenges, and problems that are foreign to us in Canada.
However, the more I see how different the lifestyle in this country is, the more I am struck by the similarities that we share with many of the people here. Humans have gone the wrong way in so many respects. Laziness, greed, corruption, codependence, arrogance, foolishness. When I see the problems here, it reminds me of the problems back in Canada which we are mainly able to avoid due to our tremendous wealth. Here are a few of the ways that we are similar, in different ways:
The government is known for its corruption here. In fact, one of the arguments against sending aid to Africa and forgiving debts is that corrupt governments will not use this money properly. Well, look at the sponsorship scandal in Canada. Certainly not the same kind of corruption, but it is present nonetheless.
Black markets, undeclared income, and favours for the rich result in taxes being taken from those who cannot afford it. Remind you of anything?
Many of the problems in villages are excarbated by poor attitudes and lack of education. One of our projects is to rehabilitate wells that were put in by the government, and have broken down because the people did not maintain them, believing that the government put them there, so the government should maintain it. Our people go out, help the community rebuild the well, teach them how to maintain it, educate them on its importance, and attempt to teach them a sense of ownership. I realize that we often have the same attitude of “That’s the government’s problem”, but we can get away with it more because in Canada, our basic needs are met. And though good education is more readily available to us, there are still many uneducated decisions being made.
Life is full of challenges and problems for everyone, and though we are all different, we can all relate in some ways to what is going on in other peoples’ lives. While sitting in a meeting today for all of the EI staff in Malawi, I was struck by the similarity of the concerns. Talk of salary concerns, of the proper way to deal with conflicts with staff and supervisors, talk of the importance of being at these meetings, discussion around a new payroll system. I felt like I was at a meeting back in Canada.
The rich in this country are very rich. If I were to compare, I would say the rich here are as comparatively rich as the rich in Canada. The middle class would probably be the low to mid class in Canada, and the poorest people here are a class that I have not seen in Canada. I once heard someone say that on a subsistence level that there are no poor people in Canada, as it is possible for almost everyone to obtain enough money to live, in the absence of other problems. This is certainly not the case in Africa. However, I have been surprised at how much wealth is here, and how much advancement there is here, though it is obviously not nearly as widespread or as cheap as in Canada. I am certain I will notice differences if and when I need the health system, and I know that many of the bureaucracies (like getting a drivers license, or a phone) are more of a hassle, but stuff is available for those with the means to get it.
Well, that’s just a few off the top of my head. I will leave you with a passage from 1 Thessalonians that has been resonating with me for a while, and continues to reign in my head, as I enjoy traveling the countryside in a jeep with a smile on my face, relishing the moments of my day and thanking God for this experience, and pondering the ways it will change me that I cannot yet grasp. “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” These have become my rules to live by, and they work well when I remember them. Hope you all are well, and look forward to hearing from you.
However, the more I see how different the lifestyle in this country is, the more I am struck by the similarities that we share with many of the people here. Humans have gone the wrong way in so many respects. Laziness, greed, corruption, codependence, arrogance, foolishness. When I see the problems here, it reminds me of the problems back in Canada which we are mainly able to avoid due to our tremendous wealth. Here are a few of the ways that we are similar, in different ways:
The government is known for its corruption here. In fact, one of the arguments against sending aid to Africa and forgiving debts is that corrupt governments will not use this money properly. Well, look at the sponsorship scandal in Canada. Certainly not the same kind of corruption, but it is present nonetheless.
Black markets, undeclared income, and favours for the rich result in taxes being taken from those who cannot afford it. Remind you of anything?
Many of the problems in villages are excarbated by poor attitudes and lack of education. One of our projects is to rehabilitate wells that were put in by the government, and have broken down because the people did not maintain them, believing that the government put them there, so the government should maintain it. Our people go out, help the community rebuild the well, teach them how to maintain it, educate them on its importance, and attempt to teach them a sense of ownership. I realize that we often have the same attitude of “That’s the government’s problem”, but we can get away with it more because in Canada, our basic needs are met. And though good education is more readily available to us, there are still many uneducated decisions being made.
Life is full of challenges and problems for everyone, and though we are all different, we can all relate in some ways to what is going on in other peoples’ lives. While sitting in a meeting today for all of the EI staff in Malawi, I was struck by the similarity of the concerns. Talk of salary concerns, of the proper way to deal with conflicts with staff and supervisors, talk of the importance of being at these meetings, discussion around a new payroll system. I felt like I was at a meeting back in Canada.
The rich in this country are very rich. If I were to compare, I would say the rich here are as comparatively rich as the rich in Canada. The middle class would probably be the low to mid class in Canada, and the poorest people here are a class that I have not seen in Canada. I once heard someone say that on a subsistence level that there are no poor people in Canada, as it is possible for almost everyone to obtain enough money to live, in the absence of other problems. This is certainly not the case in Africa. However, I have been surprised at how much wealth is here, and how much advancement there is here, though it is obviously not nearly as widespread or as cheap as in Canada. I am certain I will notice differences if and when I need the health system, and I know that many of the bureaucracies (like getting a drivers license, or a phone) are more of a hassle, but stuff is available for those with the means to get it.
Well, that’s just a few off the top of my head. I will leave you with a passage from 1 Thessalonians that has been resonating with me for a while, and continues to reign in my head, as I enjoy traveling the countryside in a jeep with a smile on my face, relishing the moments of my day and thanking God for this experience, and pondering the ways it will change me that I cannot yet grasp. “Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” These have become my rules to live by, and they work well when I remember them. Hope you all are well, and look forward to hearing from you.
posted by Chuck @ 1:08 PM
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