June 25, 2007
Dear friends and partners,
I am sitting here this morning feeling a bit self satisfied. Two years ago, at our annual staff
meeting, Tina (who is a man) was one of our new staff. His attitude at the meeting left a bit to be
desired. When I asked what problems people were having, his statement was rather blunt - the
people are lazy. My older staff knew better than to use that word around me. I turned on him and
asked him how he knew the people were lazy - did he ask them if they were lazy - was he there all
the time to see if they were lazy - I mean what did he really know! The discussion moved rapidly to
what is our biggest barrier to our work and just as rapidly came the answer from those who had
learned before Tina - we are often the biggest barrier to development. Our attitudes and our
prejudices affect how we work with people. I made it clear to one and all that using the word lazy
to describe people - means that we are the ones that are lazy - we are lazy in our thinking; we are
lazy in our answers. I expected each and every staff person to do what they said they could do
without using the people as an excuse for not doing - anyone who couldn't do this - well, Tabitha
was not the place for them to be.
Last week, Srie visited Tina's work - she was so excited and couldn't wait to share her news. The
people that had been described as lazy - were doing so very excellent. Out of 80 families that Tina
had described as lazy, 66 families were making at least $2.50 per day from growing vegetables as an
addition to their other sources of income. The families were so very eager to show Srie everything,
their new clothes and water jars, their pigs and chicken and ducks, their bicycles and cows, their
children in school and a number of them had already started to buy materials to build a new home
for themselves. What had turned them around?
Tina had returned from our meeting two years ago and had decided to take matters into hand. He had
two wells installed in the village and then he went and bought seeds from his own money. He told
the volunteer to plant those seeds and to see what happened. People watched as the seeds sprouted
and grew into vegetables. Those vegetables were eaten and the surplus was sold - money left over to
buy more seeds and to save for a water jar. The families began to ask if they to could have seeds -
Tina said, use your savings - and so it began. At last years meeting, Tina was thoughtful in his
questions and responses - he was learning. His one request was for a one time turn at having ten
wells in one month - he did not say why - just that he needed these wells. The request was granted.
Srie and I had visited this village three years ago when Tina had started - the poverty was stark -
the land unproductive. The people were in despair - they couldn't think anymore. Last week Srie
experienced joy and pride from these very same families whom Tina had called lazy. The ten wells
allowed 66 families to turn their lives around and it is so very good. Srie's request that the
staff week of visiting each others programs be held in this particular village next month was
agreed on.
Then Srie said - we have visited the neighboring village where Tina wants to expand to - 300
families in stark poverty. I asked Srie what Tina says about these new families - she burst out
laughing - they are lazy, is his comment. Perhaps my self satisfaction is premature but I know
that before I meet him next month that word lazy will be changed to something different.
I thank each of you for allowing us to learn our own barriers - for allowing each of us to teach
ourselves and to reach out and teach others. I thank my God that He has the patience to let each of
us develop out of our own laziness into people of strength. It is so very good.
Janne |
