August 31, 2017 Journal Entry, by Stephanie Lew

Precision Planter project

Blum Fellow Stephanie Lew

Botswana Summer 2017

International aid is something that is so tricky, and throughout this trip I’ve been struggling to understand what my place is within development and how I can truly help others. Historically, international aid has failed, and I think it largely ties into this idea presented in this proverb: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

From my understanding, development has failed because we simply give fish out; we don’t each how to fish. In the same way, we pour money and resources into a place, and they become dependent on it. All of the money and resources we’ve contributed to the growth and development of other countries has never been sustainable because it doesn’t grow social and economic capital of a country.

With this idea in mind, I have been very conscious about how I choose to help others within the community. I don’t want to just give money to people; I’d rather help them learn some skill in which they can use to go earn money for themselves. This has been tricky to do because people have shared with me their hardships here in D’kar, which makes me feel for them. I can’t help but care about them so I want to help. And since I’ve come here to help them, they view me as someone who is full of wealth, which is why I’ve gotten requests for tea, sugar, and other things. It’s tough because I’m also on a budget too, so as much as I want to help others, I am not made of money, and I don’t see how giving someone sugar would help them in the long-term. What people here demand of me sometimes puts me in an uncomfortable position. I feel selfish for not wanting to give them sugar and I feel judgmental for not feeling like sugar will make any impact at all. I feel guilty, but I also know that I’m on a budget too, and following it is just being realistic. I’ve always strived to be selfless, but I do also believe that there is a balance and one can only give so much.

With this kind of development work, I can see how it’s important to establish from the get-go what my role is and what I can provide. Being conscious and careful about what my role is is important in ensuring my time here is one that makes a sustainable impact.