15228: Giving a job and give a hand-out

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

>From Bob Corbett

In a recent interchange between Eduard and Marasa there is a joint
condemnation of the notion of giving a needy woman 40 goud.

Eduard objects that it makes the donor happy, while the woman needs
	a job.
Marasa reverse the same sentiment and points out that such a donation
	makes him sad since the woman needs a job.

I have similar sentiments about MYSELF.  I don't much like charity and
have spent the past 20 years in trying to fund, support and encourage
small economic development projects to help people create sustainable
work places.

However, I think that in many ways the addition of the condition in the
case of the needy woman that "she needs a job," is often a red herring.

I've always been happy that not everyone is like me; I tend not to give
that 40 goud Marasa and Eduard talk of.  But often I simply have no
possibility of givin a job either.  So the question often isn't:

-- give 40 goud
or
-- give a job

Rather, in many cases the option is;

-- give 40 goud
or
-- walk away and not bother with the woman.

=======


Rather than the question of how does the donation of the 40 goud effect
the DONOR why not ask:  what about the donee?

I have no doubt in the world that she would be better off (and in most
cases I think even happier) if she were given a job. But if that can't be
done, then perhaps that 40 goud can make the difference between life and
death.  She might eat that day.

I'm also aware of the danger -- the 40 goud handout often builds
dependencies and so on.  That is why I personally choose to work toward
creating work places.

What I complain about here is the EITHER/OR mentality -- that one or the
other -- the donation or the job -- must be done uniformly by all people
of good will.  That seems mistaken.

People who are touched by the needs of others may respond in many
different  ways.  Some will give a handout, others try creating jobs,
others try to give health, or spiritual well-being.  Others believe
education of the  young is the best way to intervene, and many many on
this list are enamoured of political solutions (another mode I personally
have little trust in).

I suggest we need all such people.  The sum of all these strategies seems
to me to be much more likely to yield results that the EITHER/OR thinking
that only one approach is proper and that all others must be rejected or
made fun of.

As individuals different things motivate different ones of us.  Some are
deeply committeed to improvement of the material conditions of Haiti via
political change, others, like myself, and seemingly Marasa and Eduard,
believe the creation of jobs is useful.  Others are more motivated to do
other things.  Each of us in following the paths that most motivate us are
more likely to remain involved and more likely to make long-term
contributions.

The Either/Or thinking that Marasa and Eduard put forward seems to me much
more harmful than any donation of a 40 gouds here or there, even on a
regular basis.

Bob Corbett