by Chris Horst | Oct 20, 2010 | Blog |
“Moonshine or the Kids?” Nicholas Kristof, writer for the New York Times, stimulated much uneasiness with this question in his recent column on global poverty. He said:
“There’s an ugly secret of global poverty, one rarely acknowledged by aid groups or U.N. reports. It’s a blunt truth that is politically incorrect, heartbreaking, frustrating and ubiquitous: It’s that if the poorest families spent as much money educating their children as they do on wine, cigarettes and prostitutes, their children’s prospects would be transformed. Much suffering is caused not only by low incomes, but also by shortsighted private spending decisions by heads of households.”
Kristof went on to cite some clear data to highlight this disturbing “ugly secret.” At the same time I read this article, I heard a radio report about the rising prices of vodka in Russia. In the report, they interviewed an unemployed man who was frustrated by the rising prices. He said, “I just so desperately need to find a job so I can afford to buy more vodka.” The comment stuck with me. We work in Russia and I wondered if this man had ever attempted to start a business through HOPE to “grow his family’s income.”
It’s easy to romanticize the decision-making of poor people. Of course they’ll choose to send their kids to school over sending for a prostitute. Of course they’ll choose to feed their kids breakfast before feeding their alcohol addiction. But what makes us think that? What makes us wrongly assume that they don’t deal with the same brokenness that we do? This article and radio report made me uncomfortable as I contemplated whether HOPE’s work had ever helped poor Russians buy more vodka.
I’m more convinced than ever that helping people materially is not enough. Helping is enabling. My friend, Dr. Rob Gailey, articulated it more clearly. He said that “economic development is about increasing people’s choices.” If we help an alcoholic poor person – and there is no heart change – we will simply enable him to buy higher qualities and quantities of alcohol. Without heart change, as the BBC reported, helping families in India might actually be enabling them to perform sex-selection abortions, a problem which “prosperity is actually aggravating.”
In a sense, we could be enabling the oppressed to become the oppressors if we do not speak to more than business decisions. True change happens when we promote biblical values, boldly communicating the truth of the Gospel. Income growth is important, but it is only when hearts and minds are transformed that we will we see true change happen. When I hear stories like that of Mama Flores (video below), a salon owner who has trained and employed over 15 orphans through her business success, I am energized that our approach answers the unsettling questions which Kristof asks.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/8338439 w=500&h=300]
by Chris Horst | Sep 15, 2010 | Blog |
Three weeks ago I entered into a new stage in life. I joined the ranks of parenthood. My days and nights have been filled with things I have never experienced before: Diaper blow-outs, oft-interrupted nights of sleep, excessive amounts of laundry, pacifier strategies and car seat carrying workouts. We have entered into the glorious chaos of life as new parents.
What I have cherished most about welcoming Desmond into this world has been experiencing how God uniquely gifted Alli and I to provide for him. Seconds after he was born, Desmond began “rooting” – actively searching for his mother’s milk, which has been has sole sustenance thus far. He is fully dependant on us for his feeding, sleeping, clothing, protection, and diaper changes. It is our biblical mandate as parents to provide for his needs:
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith.” 1 Timothy 5:8
If we believe that to be true—that God created parents as providers—shouldn’t Christian charity affirm that principle? Conversely; Christian charity which undermines or supplants the role of parents is not aligned with God’s design. This does not apply, of course, to children whose parents are incapable or unwilling to provide for their children. These children – orphans in many regards (at least emotionally, if not physically) – are our responsibility as the Church. We are instructed to care for these children as if they were our own.
Our obligation, an area where we often take charitable missteps, is to the parents who are capable and willing to be providers. Frankly, it’s much smoother, quicker, and often more fulfilling, to provide direct assistance to children than it is to equip parents to provide…and I am the chief sinner! A few months ago I wrote about how I personally eroded the dignity of several parents via a Christmas gift giveaway. Likewise, I have been on missions trips and service projects where we have circumvented parental involvement because involving them was deemed too messy.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to watch as a complete stranger showed up every few hours to feed Desmond or change his diaper, despite our desire to do so ourselves. It would break my heart to feel as if I was incapable of providing for him. And yet, that is what the mother felt like when I showed up at her door with Christmas gifts for her kids while her children looked on.
It is not wrong to serve the needs of children. Alli and I have had overwhelming support even in our first month as parents from friends and family who have taken shifts watching him, provided meals for us and have held Desmond closely while we caught up on basic things like cleaning our apartment and showering. The way in which we have been served, however, has actually better equipped, rather than supplanted, us in our God-given role as providers. Our charity should do the same.
by Chris Horst | Sep 1, 2010 | Blog |
After having us wait as long as we possibly could, Desmond Matthew Horst arrived at 2:20 AM on August 21. He weighed 9 pounds 11 ounces and was 22 inches long.
To respect those of you who might, for whatever reason, not be fascinated with videos of Des with hiccups or pictures of every new development, we have started another blog – Smorgasbaby.wordpress.com. We look forward to seeing some of you there!
by Chris Horst | Aug 17, 2010 | Blog |
Down the road from Joshua Station, where my wife and I live, stands the second worst school in all of Denver. Greenlee Elementary School is failing. Last year, after four years of severe underperformance, Denver Public Schools terminated over half of the staff in an attempt to resuscitate it. The challenge for local families is that for most; Greenlee is their only option. This summer, the balance shifted.
A new school put down roots in our neighborhood. A branch of West Denver Prep, an innovative charter school with higher student growth rates than any other school in Denver, came into the community with a flurry. For this expansion branch to survive, the principal needed to fill the seats. And he refused to circumvent the at-risk families in the community. He came to Joshua Station, a transitional housing program home to two dozen low-income families, multiple times to recruit new families to join West Denver Prep.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/6788567 w=500&h=300]
Maria and her daughter were one of those families. Maria is a spirited and protective mother and she did not go soft on the young principal when he showed up. She pelted him with tough questions: How do you handle school violence? How tough are your teachers? How do you engage parents? Resiliently, he answered each question with candor and compassion. Maria left the meeting impressed and determined to enroll her daughter at West Denver Prep. She shared that with me proudly.
He came to my apartment three times and answered my questions honestly. Greenlee’s leaders only came after I told them I wasn’t enrolling my daughter there. They tried to convince me not to leave, because my daughter is a great student, but they didn’t fight for us like West Denver Prep.
Maria, a single, formerly homeless mom experienced the privilege of influence in a profound way. When Greenlee was her only option, she had no choice. She had no influence. That school, her only choice, was failing and there was very little she could do about it. She was on the receiving end of a bad gift which she was unable to refuse or return. This is a circumstance which plagues under-resourced, low-income families across the globe.
One of the greatest contributions we can make with our charitable efforts occurs when we shift the balance of influence to those who are historically without it. In the context of microfinance, one of the foremost ways we enrich the lives of our clients is through the provision of influence. Because they are customers, rather than recipients, they have a seat at the proverbial, and sometimes literal, bargaining table. If loan sizes are not flexible enough, interest rates are too high or branch offices are too far from their homes; they let us know. HOPE is a gift they can refuse. On the flip side, we are highly motivated to provide the very best services imaginable. Or our clients walk.
Jacqueline Novogratz, a leading voice in international development, describes this concept by comparing the market to a “listening device”:
If I give you a gift…you would be highly unlikely to tell me what was wrong with it. And in fact, when I visited, you might even put it out on the mantelpiece to make me feel good. That same thing happens with traditional charity. If I ask you to buy something from me, you suddenly become a customer with a big attitude as to what’s right about it and what’s wrong about it… So in that way, the market is a listening device.
When this transition happens, we change from the position of informing the poor about what they need, to adapters and listeners, responding to the demands, requests and influence of those we serve. We can empower and equip women, like Maria, when we open up the doors of influence.
by Chris Horst | Aug 4, 2010 | Blog |
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that if you find good people, give them good jobs, and pay them good wages, good things will happen.
– Jim Sinegal, CEO, Costco
Below is a letter I recently sent to Jim Sinegal and Craig Jelinek (CEO and President, respectively) at Costco Corporation, an international chain of membership warehouses. I am publishing this letter publicly because too often the only businesses we hear about are those which are in some way abusive to customers, vendors and/or employees. As you’ll read in the letter and elsewhere, Costco is an absolute world-class business. If you’re a regular on this blog, you’ll know this is a topic I’m enthusiastic about. Despite the refrain of many headlines, Costco is not the only remarkable business!
—-
Dear Mr. Sinegal and Mr. Jelinek,
Throughout the 90s, my older brother Matthew worked part-time at a grocery store. He was punctual, cared for his customers and he completed his work (clearing grocery carts from the parking lot) with excellence. But, the part-time minimum-wage salary, lack of benefits and toxic work environment prevented this job from becoming a career.
When a Costco opened up in our neighborhood (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) in the late 90s; its reputation for treating its employees with dignity preceded it. Matthew applied immediately in hopes of joining the Costco team. A few short months later, Costco took a chance on him. Today, 11 years later, after several promotions, consistent pay increases and with a supportive team around him, Matthew has found his career. The very generous salary and benefits package allow him to enjoy life in a debt-free home in a great neighborhood, within walking distance of Costco.
For his entire life, Matthew has been classified and known by his “special needs”. Since the day he began at Costco, however, his coworkers and customers have valued him because of his unique strengths. There are many companies which “succeed” at the expense of their workers. I am a firsthand witness to a counterintuitive company: Costco succeeds through the flourishing of its employees.
Matthew worked for years in the Costco parking lot (bearing the wind, rain, cold and snow), taking pride when it was free of carts. And, true to the rumors (that Costco promotes from within), he eventually was given the opportunity to work in the warehouse as a cashier’s assistant, supporting customers as they check-out. He absolutely loves his job…and his customers absolutely love him.
Matthew raves about his friends at the eyeglass center, bakery, pharmacy, food court and customer service desk. He always talks about the tire crew members who allow him to park his bike under their watch–and make sure it is tuned and safe to ride. He pays tribute to his many supervisors, each of whom has taken special care to help him succeed. Matthew enthusiastically participates in Costco’s Children’s Miracle Network partnership month, the annual Christmas party, and he recently won an employee Biggest Loser competition (losing over 65 pounds).
Costco has become much, much more than an employer to Matthew. Thank you for giving him a chance. I have always deeply believed that Matthew does not need any handouts — he just needs opportunities to apply his incredibly unique gifts and abilities. The purpose and care with which you approach business has literally changed the course of my brother’s life and has been an unspeakable blessing to him and to our family.
My warmest thanks,
Chris Horst
by Chris Horst | Jul 27, 2010 | Blog |
When our pregnancy was revealed mid-December I wondered if the timing would allow me to engage in Advent to a deeper degree. Sure, we had our pregnancy revealed by six blue lines (2 positive lines x 3 tests = 6) instead of Gabriel, but something was clearly binding me to the emotion of Advent in a new way. While this may have happened to a small degree, I underestimated the way in which my pregnancy would bind my heart to my students and neighbors.
The spring was filled with moments in my classroom that I will always cherish (“Your baby is going to turn out so cute and I know you’re not going to have a miscarriage because you are healthy and clean”) and others that were truly humbling (“Ms Horst, today you don’t look pregnant at all! You just look fat!”). A month after the big announcement was made, this interaction occurred:
Me: You guys are going to have to make more room for this pregnant woman to sit down.
Feliciano: I didn’t know you were pregnant!
Me: Feliciano, you know I’m pregnant… we’ve been talking about it for the last month.
Feliciano: Well, I knew you were going to have a baby, but I thought you were going to be pregnant this summer.
I knew I was beginning to think like a teacher when I was able to appreciate the logical explanation of inferring on Juan’s assessment despite its brutal honesty:
“Inferring is like predicting what is going to happen. You use your prior knowledge and your beliefs. For example, I believe my teacher is having a baby. My evidence is that her tummy is getting fat.”
At Joshua Station, we’ve had a few gut wrenching conversations similar to this one with Fanta:
Fanta: Is your boyfriend going to marry you now?
Me: Chris? We’re already married.
Fanta: But now that you’re pregnant… is he going to marry you?
Me: He already married me before we were pregnant.
Feliciano: Do you have a ring?
Chris and I didn’t fit Fanta’s five-year-old understanding of marriage, so the fact checking continued: Did he get down on a knee? Did he say “Will you marry me?” Are you still wearing the ring? Do you live together?
Now, less than two weeks away from 8.9.10, I’m beginning to infer like Juan… Using my prior knowledge (everyone I know has always stopped being pregnant at some point, usually around that 40th week) and my beliefs (that jab to my ribs felt like a baby is inside of me), I am going to infer that our life is about to get pretty dang sweet.
