How NOT to Do International Aid

This blog, 7 Worst International Aid Ideas, is from a couple of years ago, but I just came across it recently. It will be a great read and reminder for all of us who want to help.

I am not against charity and donations for emergency help, but there is a lot to learn about the difference between relief, rehabilitation, and development.

The first example outlines three basic questions we should consider when giving to any kind of poverty-related cause:

1. Is there a real need for this?
2. Is there a more efficient (though not as easy) method?
3. Are you undermining local, long-term efforts with your distant, short-term aid?

Keeping that in mind, here are the candidates for “the worst attempts at helping others since colonialism”:

1. T-shirts for Africa
2. TOMS Buy-One-Give-One
3. Machine Gun Preachers
4. Ransoming Children in Africa (Extortion)
5. Donor Fund Restrictions
6. Food Aid and Munitions Confusion
7. Making Aid a Foreign Policy Tool

Be sure to read the full article.

Related Links:

• Toxic Charity
• De-Toxifying Charity 
• How Would You Define (and Solve) Poverty?  
• Poverty Cure
• Stop Serving the Poor?  

 

Helpful Resources

I’m always recommending books and articles, based on what has helped me the most. If I had to go back 3.5 years and start over again (which is sort of what we’ll be doing next), I would be sure to start with these.

If you are thinking of moving to Allendale (you should), or doing something similar to what we’ve done, these resources may help you.

Books

I will either link to the books on Amazon, or to a review I’ve done.

A Slave of Circumstance (James Brewton).  Though specifically written about Allendale, it may help provide insight to other similar communities.

Teaching with Poverty in Mind (Eric Jensen).  The number one book I recommend for teachers, and for anyone who works with children who are growing up in poverty. I’ve referenced this book over and over and over and . . . .

A Framework for Understanding Poverty (Ruby Payne).  More well-known than Jensen’s book. Payne’s book is not as good, in my opinion, but it has given us exactly what the title promises, a basic framework.

Fatherless Generation (John Sowers).  If you read this and are not motivated to get involved in the lives of children and youth, you’re either heartless or gutless. Period.

Super(intendent) Wisdom: Part 2 — Long-Term Interim

Last time, I shared wisdom that I’ve gleaned from my old high school football coach, who is now the Assistant Superintendent of Lexington District 4 (go Swansea High School Tigers!). This is the continuation of that post.

Dr. Walter Tobin came to Allendale last February, as an interim Superintendent, when the previous man in that position had his contract suddenly terminated. (Side note: I think that firing was a terrible decision.) He has now had his interim contract extended several times by the local school board.

My history with Dr. Tobin goes back almost as far as with Coach Maddox. During my last couple of years of high school, Dr. Tobin was the Superintendent of the school district which included Swansea. I was in a school play with his daughter.

Though I didn’t know him then, many of my former coaches and teachers have had great things to say about his leadership. And I’m happy with the leadership that he’s provided in Allendale. He’s come into a tough situation, and helped bring stability.

Of course, this stability will change when a permanent hire is made. But we’ll enjoy it for now.

Super(intendent) Wisdom: Part 1 — Always a Coach

Here’s a warning for you: if we ever get together to talk, or if I hear you speak, I’m going to be taking notes. Ninety percent of the time, I carry around a steno pad, but even if I don’t, I’ll grab a scrap of paper or napkin to write things down.

Being a visual and kinesthetic learner, I absorb information better when I see and apply them. Writing notes and sketching diagrams are two ways that I do this. Plus, writing helps me process at deeper level, and provides a good outlet for the constant flood of ideas in my brain. (This is evidenced by the 1000+ blog posts I’ve written on three blogs I started over the past 5.5 years.)

So, if we meet, I’m going to ask questions, and listen, and write down ideas. I’m not interrogating you or trying to catch you slipping up. I’m merely stealing your ideas.

This is what I did when I had the opportunity to hear from two school administrators earlier this year, my former high school football coach and the current interim Superintendent of Allendale County Schools.

Poverty: A Simple Problem and No Solution?

A friend of mine sent me this article, Liberal Policies Have Destroyed the Black Family, and asked,

“Ignoring the fact that he obviously has a distaste for liberals and seems angry, what’s your take on the content?”

To summarize, Sheriff David Clarke (an African-American man) believes that liberal policies (lowering standards for young people, welfare for adults) are a form of modern racism. You should read the entire article, but the gist is that he says that bad parenting is the cause and result of such liberal policies.

“We take kids out of the home with early childhood education programs, and the government feeds them breakfast, lunch and dinner, and provides after-school programs.

Who needs parents in the black community anymore?”

So what’s my take? First, my friend is correct — Sheriff Clarke seems very angry, at liberals in particular.

Second, Sheriff Clarke is correct . . . to a certain extent.

Ask Yourself: “Why Am I Not Poor?”

Thanks to Nate Livesay (over at A Dangerous Question), who shared this article earlier this year. It’s worth mulling over . . .

(Note: Nate also wrote a great guest post for me last year, titled Living the Gospel Requires More Than Good Intentions and Random Acts of Kindness.)

A Dangerous Question

Instead of wondering why others are poor, perhaps we need to examine why many of us are not. Has God chosen to bless us in special ways? Have we worked harder or been more determined? Or were we born in a country and zip code that gave us so much more than we ever acknowledge? My own shift in understanding about poverty came when I finally understood why I am not poor—and how easily I could be.

This is an excerpt from an article in Christianity Today by Dale Hanson Bourke entitled “Why Am I not Poor”  She lists and explains 8 reasons why she isn’t poor.  Click here to read the whole article.  I would encourage you to click the link and read the short article.

1. I had access to good education
2. I am healthy.
3. As a woman, I am protected by the law and society.
4. Insurance protects me…

View original post 31 more words

The Context for Hopelessness (Sharing Our Story with CBC — Part 1)

A couple of months ago, I was asked to share part of our story at Community Bible Church (in Savannah, GA). As you may remember, this church has been a part of our ministry in Allendale, helping with summer activities in 2012 and 2013. I was glad (but nervous) to have this opportunity, but I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was, since I was the one who asked for opportunities to speak to others.

I had 12-15 minutes to talk, and here is the core of what I shared. (I know it’s a lot. Good thing I talk quickly.)

Context of This Community

We moved to Allendale (SC) three years ago. There’s a bunch to that story, but let’s just say that God forced our hand, since moving here was not what we ever imagined ourselves ever doing. But we are so thankful that He did.

I don’t want to talk about all the negative stats about Allendale (although my scientist and pessimistic natures want me to do just that). But here is an overview, so you understand the context of what we are doing:

• In 2010, Allendale was listed as the 10^th most impoverished county in the US.
• About 75% of the population is African-American, so my family is in the minority.
• Most white families, and some black, don’t have their children in the local schools.
• Over 70% of children are growing up in single parent households. (For more about this, see my posts about the Fatherless Generation, with respect to boys and girls.)
• About 12% of the population of Allendale is incarcerated.
• There are over 100 churches, but there is mostly a famine of God’s word.

Again, I’m not focusing on the negative aspects, because the rest of this talk will be on the great things that we’ve seen. I just wanted to set the context for how we have worked with children in this community, in our after school programs, day camps, coaching, and more.

Three years ago, we barely understood poverty. We (like most of you) saw poverty as a lack of money. Now, we see it more as broken relationships – broken relationships with God, others, the world, and ourselves. In that context, we are all experiencing poverty.

We can talk a lot about poverty and all the effects of it, but I want to focus on one word: HOPE. Poverty involves a lack or imbalance of opportunity, and even a lack of awareness that there are opportunities.

Shutdown Corners, But Not Shut Down

Last football season, we had the best two shutdown corners of anyone we played.

For you non-football folks, a “shutdown corner” is a cornerback (who plays on defense) who can effectively keep the offense’s wide receivers from having a successful game, all by himself. We had two senior cornerbacks in whom we had confidence against any opponent. One of these guys had 4 interceptions (5, if you count his all-star bowl game), and the other guy – who also was a starting running back, and missed a couple of games with a knee injury – only had one, but it sealed the game in a playoff win.

Because we had these two top-notch cornerbacks, they could shut down the opponent’s passing game, allowing our other nine defensive players to focus on the run. Their abilities, confidence, and leadership helped us reach the lower state championship game.

What makes these two men special is not just what they accomplished on the football field (or basketball court, or track), but what they’ve already accomplished in light of where they have come from.

Circles: Equipping Families and Communities to Resolve Poverty

If a single parent is living on minimum wage, how much does their salary need to increase in order to get off of government assistance? The answer may surprise you:

Want to learn more about a becoming a part of the solution? Watch this video about the Circles Initiative:

You can check out the Circles USA website, especially the How It Works page. I love the concept of how community and meaningful relationships are the central part of this program.

And you can bet that I’ll make it a point to learn more about this program.

Related Links:

• How Would You Define (and Solve) Poverty?
• Poverty Cure
• Stop Serving the Poor?
• Poverty: A Simple Problem and No Solution?
• Always a Coach   
• Mentoring: A Gameplan for Poverty
• College and Finances

Separating Trauma from Childhood

Last year, a 16-year old boy from a rich family got drunk (while also having Valium and marijuana in his system), drove a pickup truck (owned by his father’s company), and killed four people. He got absolutely no jail time as a result.

The defense team successfully argued that “because of his family’s wealth and child-rearing style, [the teenager] never learned that his actions had consequences.” In other words, because his parents didn’t do their job, he didn’t deserve to go to prison.

Upon learning that story, my first thought (and Tweet) was,

Rich kids get a pass for bad #parenting. Do poor kids get the same? http://t.co/nxkJyX1URz

— Joey Espinosa (@EspinosaJoey) December 28, 2013