17048: Sajousp: Further comments on mission trips

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Sajousp@aol.com

corbetre@webster.edu writes:
      "Some came, did what I would think was
      serious work.

Others came and did little work but played more.
Others came and did little playing but worked more
Further, I don't think the case can even be made that ALL labor is the
same.  I am a case in point.  I was the point person between foreign
donors and Haitian community organizations.  My job was to conduct the
buisiness of PTP (People to People, Inc.) in such a way that:

1.  Haitian groups we worked with got funds and did projects as
    agreed upon.
2.  The whole procedure worked in such a way that the foreign donors were
    satisfied with # 1 in such a way that they continued donating
    money."

--------------------

Hudicourt stated:"Most of them do manual labor which costs less than U$4 a
day when done by a Haitian" .

Bob,

Again I agree with you, Hudicourt referred to manual labor I don't think
she
was referring to specialized labor. A surgeon who travels to Haiti to
perform
surgery is a welcome missiononary work for Haiti. However a bunch of High
School students going to Haiti to do manual labor call it work experience
fine I agree.Saying that one is denigrating their work by not calling it a
mission to me is a little out of line.Do their trip  benefit Haiti by
bringing
foreign exchange in the country? Absolutely.Could that money be used to do
the
same work cheaper? Yes.Had not they come would that money be donated to
Haiti
to do the same work? Most likely not.Now if you think by calling a spade a
spade one is denigrating I am sorry you interpret it that way.
You said it,it is a complex issue.I don't have any statistics to back me
up but
I would venture to say that 50% do serious work the other 50 come to play.
I have enjoyed the discussion.Lets hear from others as you suggested.