Development vs. Relief

Much has been written on the subject of development vs. relief, however, we’ve never fully stated on this forum where we stand on the subject. Over the course of the last four years we’ve tried to stay teachable, if nothing else. In fact, it is probably safe to say that we have learned way more than we have actually done. With respect to Haiti, there is the common misconception that the country falls squarely on the relief end of the spectrum; if you can imagine there is a spectrum of needs ranging from complete relief all the way to fully developed/self-sufficient societies. The reason people often view Haiti in terms of needing primarily relief is because the magnitude of the poverty level there is so severe, the unemployment rate is so high, the education levels are often quite low and the people have few, if any, options for economic mobility. These things are actually a much stronger case for development than relief. When people (like we ourselves did) show up with an endless supply of donated goods, teams of well-intentioned short-term missionaries eager to “get their hands dirty” and make a mark by building things, it often makes them feel good to think they had an impact on someone else’s life, however short lived that might be. The impact and feelings left behind can be more on the order of stripping the local’s dignity, reinforcing ideas of negative self-worth or the belief that they are incapable of affecting change in their own lives. We even create dependencies in some cases. We believe there certainly is a time and a place for relief, but the relief efforts are typically very targeted and are preceded by some form of natural disaster (i.e. hurricanes), massive disease outbreak (i.e. cholera), or political upheaval leading to displaced people (i.e. refugees) and a break-down in the normal supply chain of food.

There have been cases where we have acted in relief mode and may do so again in the future, if the situation warrants it. However, when considering what will ultimately transform Haiti from being the most impoverished nation in the Western hemisphere, we firmly believe in the concept of long-lasting sustainable development as being the best way for us and the other plethora of NGOs working in Haiti to move forward. The impact we strive to make may not show any signs of change in the here and now, because it could be years or even generations before it is felt, but we believe the best hope for Haiti are changes that last and self-perpetuate. And thus, we have committed to doing the long, sometimes messy, often complicated and arduous work of sustainable development. It takes building trust and relationships that may grow very slowly. It takes engaging a community and changing their expectations about why you are there. It takes partnership and the understanding that things will rarely be easy on the road towards development. It takes rethinking everything we know about helping. It takes grace and humility. It takes commitment.

We have far from figured this out, but we are willing to learn as we go and encourage others to do the same. We hope all missionaries and NGOs, living in or traveling to Haiti will consider their ultimate goals for our Haitian neighbors and in all things they do think about longevity, and whether what they are doing is helping or hurting.

Embrace Haiti  =  Empower,  Advocate,  Connect

For more on this subject, please read When Helping Hurts, by Corbett and Fikkert.