In the past decade there has been an increase in social awareness among churches in North America. With the economic slump, middle and upper class Americans are more aware of the increasing poverty. More families are experiencing it for the first time. In less developed countries the state of the world economy takes a harsher toll on citizens.
People are seeking change, trying to work together to help in someway. Unfortunately, the west, and Americans specifically, are stuck in the charity mode of the last century. We look only at what is lacking. We give and give and give what we think the poor need. Helping others is vital in this time of crisis; but we need to know how to help and when to stop. We need to know “When Helping Hurts.”
Professors Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert provide just such a tool. Both work at the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and as teachers at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Corbett and Fikkert have condensed their community development courses into a small book entitled When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself. The book provides an in depth look at poverty and at the inherent value of each human.
Voice to the Voiceless
Poverty, as defined by the poor takes a deeper meaning of shame, physical and mental barriers. To the non-poor, poverty is the lack of material things. Those who go out to help should be fully aware of the different facets of poverty. The authors discuss the influential work of Bryant Myers, who wrote in the 1980s about the foundational relationships God established at creation with God, Self, Others, and the rest of Creation. These relationships were broken with the fall of man so healing must occur at all levels. Helps needs to be holistic in approach or it may harm at some other level.
As stated in the book, “not all poverty is created equal.” Different stages require different approaches in the relief, rehabilitation and development stages. Relief is the most common approach, because it is the easiest for people to send things off to a foreign country or to a food drive. However, this must be the shortest stage to avoid creating dependency.
Westerners are accustomed to dependent populations and are poisoned by centuries of a paternalistic worldview. The book includes this vital equation, too often existing in North American churches:
Material definition of poverty + God-complexes of materially non-poor + feelings of inferiority of materially poor= harm to both materially poor and non-poor
Corbett and Fikkert stress the necessity to not do things for others that they can do for themselves. That is why the non-poor definition of poverty is so flawed: it only looks at what the poor lack. The non-poor need to help the individual and communities trapped in poverty to see the values and assets they do possess. This is called asset-based community development rather than need-based.
When Helping Hurts emphasizes giving a voice to voiceless. The end goal is to encourage the person and the community to seek and implement change on its own. To help the poor do this, the non-poor must understand the culture and mentality of the communities in which they work. They must understand the poverty trap; denounce the health and wealth gospel, and seek prolonged involvement in the community.
Short Term Missions
The short term missions craze added to the problems. According to the book, Americans spent $1,600,000,000 to fund short-term missions in 2006. That money could have gone to local churches or trusted community leaders where the missions took place to pay local doctors, teachers, craftsmen to do the work rather than foreigners. It would help the self-esteem of the community rather than bringing in junior high and high school students who know little of the language and culture to “help” the poor.
The authors provide suggestions for improving short term missions, by again focusing on the poor and how to help the poor by working with them. If people go out in the name of Jesus they must live as he lived. Luke 4:17-21 reveals Jesus’ mission to deliver the poor and oppressed. Christians must help the poor as Jesus did- in both word and deed. He lived among them, he instituted prolonged involvement and asset based community development!
Dr. Fikkert’s personal story of his experience in Kampala, Nigeria in the Kibera slums threads through the book and the simple but powerful conclusion strikes and convicts the reader. The book also includes the pros and cons of micro financing and sections such as “initial thoughts” and “reflection questions and exercises” for discussion and small groups.
This compelling book should be read by anyone doing work among and with the poor. It should be read by everyone, as we all encounter poverty in some form or another. This book forces us to stop being the problem and to truly practice loving our neighbor.
Iemima Ploscariu - As a recent college graduate of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, Iemima's writing experience consists of work done for ...
