I don't have time to write another full entry, but I'm going to summarize my current thoughts in one sentence:
"I am here to build relationships, not buildings."
Allison (a seasoned Kenya traveler) said this to me on our second night here-- and it makes perfect sense in my mind. So many people visit Africa to "help" by constructing churches or other buildings that could have been built by locals who desperately need jobs. Once a building is finished, the charity group leaves, and the sustainability aspect is left solely in the hands of local citizens. By building RELATIONSHIPS with people here, we are creating something real, lasting, and dually beneficial for both ourselves and those we interact with. We are taking away just as much as we are giving.
Just something to think about.
Yeah. Yeah. Youeyeah. Without all the Ooh-thought-induced discomfort you feel from that (which I will never experience, so I get to use it freely), I mean it. As in, YES. To the current thought. I read this semi-sporadicly which results in being absorbed in your life temporarily and wishing I wasn't in Holland permanently.
ReplyDeleteFYI, I've been reading this the entire time but I just figured out how to leave comments. I really like this post. It's made me think a lot.
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