Sustainable Good

The Value of Community

I recently came across the latest stories "from the field" on the Outreach International website and got hooked.  It felt so good to hear about the many successes around the globe because of the work OI is doing.   I couldn't help but smile when reading about Fulgence and Marcel working together to build a well in their community; I silently celebrated when I read about Flank (from Zambia) and Ana (from the Phillipines) who worked with Outreach International and raised their voices to their government leaders in order to receive their fair due -- parcels of land where they now make their living; I read with relief about Vilma's work to start up a local pharmacy; and I smiled as I imagined the life of Chiwa, a 7 year old girl who used to spend her days walking to gather water for the family and now spends her days going to school.  Ahhh... it's nice to sense some hope in the lives of real people.

I noticed that all of these stories emphasized one thing -- one integral factor that brought them their success -- community.  They all worked to gather the support of the community before they did anything else.  They knew that without the strength of a multitude of voices -- their power, their momentum for change -- would be too weak to make a difference.  They depended on community, they worked together, and the result?  They made changes to their community and their lives.

Women Making a Difference for Women in Extreme Poverty

Sue McLaughlin guest blogs about her experience as the founder of her own Dining for Women chapter.   What a wonderful way to gather people together in community, learn about the devestaing effects of poverty, and pitch in to make a difference.  Thanks Sue!

As a woman of privilege by world standards related to income, education, and race, how can I make a difference for other women around the world who through no fault of their own live in extreme poverty? This is something that I've asked myself. There's so much need that it feels like filling an ocean with one drop of water at a time to try to do something about it. Then I heard about Dining for Women.

Dining for Women is an international giving circle dedicated to empowering women in the two-thirds world by funding programs that foster the physical, emotional, and economic self-sufficiency of women living in extreme poverty. Through the collective, focused giving of Dining for Women chapters all over the world, women can join with other women to make a difference in the world.

I started a chapter of Dining for Women in Independence, Missouri this month. We had our first meeting last night. Eleven like-minded women met to learn of the situation of women and children in Uganda and the work of Bead for Life in promoting economic self-sufficiency for women in that war torn country.

At our meeting we shared food and friendship, concern for our sisters in Uganda, listened to Ugandan music, and experienced the beauty of beads and jewelry handmade by the Ugandan women of Bead for Life. We learned of the devastation of AIDS that has left many of these women widows and HIV positive and raising their own and orphaned children. Through our donations (of what we would have spent on a nice dinner out) and our purchases of Bead for Life jewelry, we raised over $700 in our chapter alone. The money we raised will be combined with the other chapters of Dining for Women to provide a significant collective contribution to the developing self-sufficiency of the women of Uganda. Women linking with other women is what it’s all about!!

Rocky Mountain Mission Center Hunger Challenge

I just attended a Hunger Challenge in Ft. Collins, CO, USA.  There were over 60 kids, teens, and adults who fasted for 24 hours, learned about poverty, raised awareness in the community, collected cans, donated money, and brainstormed their own solutions to hunger.  It was an inspiring weekend and I am thankful to Dezi Rae Astle and her crew for raising so much money for Outreach International.  Thanks to all of you!

"Well, Did it Change Your Life?"

I am inspired to know that more people keep realizing the value of the development process that Outreach International uses. This is Chelsea Carter's reflection after she returned from a site visit to Nicaragua with Outreach International:

Just over one year ago, I began to think about taking the Nicaragua Winter Term. The first time I heard about the trip was in a Sunday night service at Graceland University. The speaker shared her testimony about the trip, and described how the experience radically changed her life in profound ways. This is the sort of story that seemed to come from everyone who talked about his or her visit to Nicaragua. The stories stayed consistent from student to student in terms of how the trip so greatly impacted their lives. It almost became a sort of joke between my circle of friends and I. Every semester when we heard that someone had just got back from Nicaragua, our first question to them was always, “Well did it change your life!?”

After hearing this same testimony over and over from a broad spectrum of personalities across campus, I began to consider the possibility that maybe I should check out this potentially life changing experience too.

Poverty is Systematic, Not Just a Lack of Things

In an op-ed in this weekend's Examiner (Independence, MO), I highlighted Outreach International's work struggling against poverty in communities around the world. I argued that one cannot simply blame the poor for their poverty or assume that it is simply due to a lack of money or skills. Rather, the roots of poverty lie in poor people’s lack of power over and participation in the institutions and systems – economic, political, social and cultural – that determine the course of their lives.

To read the whole article, click here.

- Matthew Bolton

"How Beautiful!"

The next post in our series of posts reflecting on the Nicaragua Site Visit with Outreach International comes from Nicky Kerr, a senior at Graceland University. She reflects on her definition of poverty, how Outreach International's process of development called the Participatory Human Development Process (or PHDP), the empowerment she saw in the communities where OI works and the impact this trip had on her own life. -Stephen Donahoe

"1. My definition of poverty is still forming, and is uniquely based on my
personal experiences. Because my story and my relationship with poverty will
continue, I expect my definition to evolve, and I don’t claim it’s absolute
completeness or truth over other definitions.

"That being said, I have thought about how I define poverty extensively. We
often differentiate between material poverty (poverty you can see), and
poverty of the mind (poverty you can’t see). I recognize that poverty can be a
mentality, and that changing your mindset can be life changing in the midst of
tragic material circumstances. Still, I struggle with this sharp duality that
we have created. It is important to know that they feed into each other, and
to remember that both need radical change if poverty is going to become
history.

Address Needs, not Impose Pre-Subscribed Solutions

I am a freelance filmmaker and cameraman, just returned from The Philippines, where I’ve been documenting some of the work Outreach International is doing. (The videos should start popping up on the Outreach website in the new year)

Outreach have been working in the country for around 30 years, so it seemed a good time to go. It would be an opportunity to look at both communities who at present receive support, and those who’ve been helped out in the past.

I was interested in seeing how sustainable the work is. The NGO community is riddled with stories of organisations not being able to offer long-term solutions to communities with immediate needs, whether through lack of understanding or unforeseeable hurdles. I’ve wondered in the past whether faults might be, in part, a consequence of a global system founded on ‘box ticking’, which satisfies funding bodies in the developed world, but has no relevance for the needs of the developing world. After this trip, I’m increasingly sure this is the case. Which is where I think organisations like Outreach can set themselves apart; by having and retaining their independence. The independence to be able to go into communities, work with local people and address genuine needs, rather than attempt to impose pre-subscribed solutions.

World AIDS Day...today!

Today, December 1st, marks the 20th anniversary World AIDS Day. People all over the world have been coming together on Dec. 1st to commit to end the AIDS epidemic. Check out some of the ways that governments around the world marked the day this year. Also be sure and go to the World AIDS Campaign website where you can pledge to increase your committment to ending AIDS. I recommend figuring out what you would feel comfortable doing and then going the next step further. We all have to work harder in order to end this disease.

Some of the countries where Outreach International works are facing terrible AIDS crises. One of those is Zambia, where almost one out of six people is HIV positive! Read how one community is working together to overcome the struggles of AIDS.

-Stephen Donahoe

Witches, Witch Doctors and Exorcisms

Conversations about real-life witches, witch doctors, exorcisms and the like are some of the most uncomfortable moments in my travels. Before I went to India for two months to teach English with World Service Corps, I was told that I would definitely be asked to do exorcisms. So, I was sitting in the last church service thanking God that I was not going to have to do an exorcism in India. And then after the service, one of the congregation members came up to me and said through translation that he was plagued by a demon. That was my cue to stumble and fumble through a prayer for the man's wholeness.

This brings to light one of the most difficult challenges of international development--being culturally sensitive. The belief in the supernaturally evil is not common in Western culture. However, it is normal in a lot of the world. This means that when Western organizations are working in other cultures, they must balance their criticism of some culture norms (such as female circumcision) with their respect for local customs.

This balance of respect and critique in local cultures is one of the best things about Outreach International. Because local people who work with Outreach International carry out their own community development, it is easier to work in culturally sensitive ways. Outreach International dialogues with local human development facilitators to challenge some of their own cultural norms, especially repressive practices that prevent everyone from participating fully in the community.

-Stephen Donahoe & Karyn Wingard-Manuel

Creating Signal Communities Around the World

Two weeks ago, I didn't know what a signal community was...and now I know that I am part of one!

This past weekend I went to one of my favorite events of the year- the Community of Christ Peace Colloquy in Independence, MO. This year's theme was Signal Communities: Hope of Zion. the Colloquy was very inspiring as always. It helped me to re-realize that we are not alone, that there are lots and lots of people working to create peace in the world. I was intellectually stimulated by a history of "signal communities" from Jesus to today. I was challenged by the stories of struggling to maintain community from the leaders of Koinonia Farms, a well-established intentional community in Georgia. And I was reminded how important the work we are doing on this blog is by a testimony by Karyn.