“Here were these poor people, living on the edge of a mountain with a million-dollar view,’’ she said. “But they needed the basics, food, shelter. It was such a moving experience.’’
The Peace Corps’ decision to leave, she said, was “heartwrenching.’’
“I thought about the people who were left there. Who is going to care for them?’’
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/22/2600849_p2/the-risks-and-rewards-of-helping.html#storylink=cpy
Okay. So in the aftermath of Peace Corps pulling out of Honduras I have noticed two things in the media: increased emphasis and focus on the violence and drug-trafficking going on in Honduras countered by articles like this one lamenting Peace Corps’ decision and talking about all of the other volunteer organizations still working there. On the violence issue, check out this Op-Ed in the NY Times, as it raises some good points and questions. Now, moving on:
Firstly, I am glad that there are still organizations working in Honduras in an effort to support the people there. Peace Corps is not the end all, be all of foreign aid to the country.
However, I have a big problem with this woman’s last sentiment. This is the number one problem I see in international volunteering and development practices and it all comes down to one little word. Who is going to care for them? Seriously? Are they all children? Are they stray animals? Are they not human beings capable of caring for themselves? It was never the job of a Peace Corps Volunteer, nor ANY development worker for that matter, to be the caregiver of a community. The Hondurans I know are all very capable and resilient people stuck in an extremely difficult situation with a government and justice system that does not work for them and an aid system that is not doing enough to empower them. (The keyword there is empower.)
The international community should care about what is going on in Honduras (or at least any country affected by the Drug Trade, Honduran emigration, and the resulting human rights issues should care). There is a difference, though, in caring about something and caring for something. The Honduran people need help on a lot of issues, but that does not mean that all of the bleeding hearts of the developed world should go down there and hand feed all of the poor people and build houses for them (now, if you change that “for” to “with” and have a capacity building component, that’s a different story). Doing things FOR people, especially people in a place as broken as Honduras, is hurting them much more than it is helping them. I call it the Charity Curse and Honduras has been a victim to it for the past 50 years, more or less.
I am not happy about Peace Corps pulling out of Honduras. I enjoyed my work there and loved my community, but considering the policy changes that Peace Corps needs to consider in order to improve operations in the country as a whole, it was the best decision. I am happy that there are organizations and groups that are able to continue their operations in the country and I wish them success, but it breaks my heart to think about how many mission trips and volunteer groups are led by that same sentiment: “who will care for these people?”
Please. Don’t care FOR “these people”, care ABOUT them. Teach them, help them stand on their own two feet, support them in demanding accountability and transparency from their own government and organizations, but don’t go down there with gifts of food and houses thinking these people will be better off. More gringos (white, North American people) will just be back in a year to do the same thing for the same people over and over again and nothing will change. That is the curse of charity; the curse of caring “for” something.
The problems and challenges Honduras faces are things that can only be solved by the Honduran people. Stop treating them like helpless strays and start treating them like the capable human beings that they are. They will need support, they may seek guidance, but if anyone else tries to solve their problems for them, whatever success is achieved will never last.
Hear Hear! Fantastic post.