by Chris Horst | Apr 21, 2010 | Blog |
Last month I started a journey, in monthly installments, to two fictional cities—Assetsville and Needsville—both cities representative of poor communities in Africa. While the issues in these cities are identical, the responses to these issues could not be more different—both in philosophy and methodology.
Clean water and sanitation are luxuries. The statistics are devastating: One billion of our planet’s citizens lack access to clean water. Unsafe water and poor sanitation cause 80% of all diseases and kill more than two million people annually, 90% of whom are children under the age of five.
When these realities became publicized in Needsville, the response from the international community was swift and profound. Wells were drilled. Rainwater was collected and purified. Water filtration plants were installed. The challenge was big and the response was inspiring.
Sadly, the outcomes fell far short of the aspirations. Shockingly, 80% of the new wells fell into disrepair. The entire region became a “wasteland for broken water and sanitation infrastructure.” The working wells became overworked, plagued by shortages and unmotivated staff. Long lines developed at these wells as the meek recipients waited anxiously to fill up their jugs with the “free” water. Even some church well projects, while well-meaning, were not sustained. The wells were drilled for the residents of Needsville by missions trippers, not by or with them.
In sharp contrast, the streets of Assetsville are now flowing with clean water. Local ingenuity, entrepreneurial grit and sustainable models abound. A local church recently built a water purification center with the help of a Christian ministry and is now providing affordable clean water to their community. The water business employs a handful of church members and creates a revenue stream for the church to pay its underpaid pastoral staff. Refreshing: The local church is providing affordable pure water and sharing about the Living Water.
A microfinance program in Assetsville built a purification system in its branch office. Dozens of clients subsequently took out loans to purchase the clean water in bulk. These water vendors load up their bicycles with jugs of water and sell it in some of the most-underserved communities in the city. Through this model, they collectively sell over 300,000 gallons annually and experience the dignity of work. Innovative: Water solutions—microfinance-style.
Down the road, a pioneering new business is a booming success, bringing dignity to sanitation, through its high-quality, public, pay-per-use toilet and shower facility. Counterintuitive: “The poor” paying for the privilege of using clean bathroom facilities.
Even the children are involved in the movement. They pump clean water into their schools while they play on merry-go-rounds. The excess water is sold to the community and advertising space on the water tanks is sold to ensure the pumps are maintained. Clever: Sustainable clean water fueled by the play of children.
All throughout Assetsville, fresh ideas and entrepreneurial tenacity are charting a new course—a course fueled by smart solutions, and framed by healthy partnerships between the residents of Assetsville and those who are descending on the city to provide help. Next month’s installment: Education.
by Chris Horst | Apr 19, 2010 | Blog |
Visiting the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle last week was like a party for my senses. Delectable sights, sounds and smells emanated throughout the re-purposed historic train station Starbucks calls home. As part of my MBA program, my cohort had the privilege of visiting with several Starbucks executives–and tasting lots of delicious coffee, of course. Sadly, however, despite my hopes, there were no vanilla latte water fountains. The visit has got me thinking.
Have you ever been a part of a church service or conversation when someone said something like, “You selfishly spend $20/month on coffee purchases — imagine what good that money could do if you gave it to a non-profit!” I’ve heard it many times and am sure I have even said it more than once. There is some truth to that comment, and I am not writing this post to justify excessive consumerism, but I am increasingly convinced that is a misleading admonition.
Your purchases, be it for your favorite coffee, the car you drive or the computer you are using right now, are doing good. Did you know that Starbucks provides wages and health insurance to over 115,000 individuals people and are supporting over 75,000 rural coffee farmers throughout Latin America and Africa? Learning about the Starbucks Farmer Support program (see video below) was like watching a HOPE International marketing video — incredible how much of an impact the gourmet coffee craze is making on the lives of poor rural farmers.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlQenGBQaf0&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0]
Many times we assume that all our spending is selfish and detrimental to the world…as if only money given to charities is “money well spent.” That’s just not true. Look at India, Chile, Brazil, Hong Kong and even Rwanda. These countries are seeing massive numbers of people’s livelihoods improved and are seeing the flourishing of many of their communities. Many factors have contributed to these countries’ collective emergence, but the engine of entrepreneurship is leading the charge. We often judge the worth of businesses by how much they give charitably to charities. In my view, the primary good they contribute to our society is their provision of valuable products, services and meaningful employment to the world–from the smallest “mom and pop” shops to the world’s largest companies. Their donations are great too, but it’s their inherent value which is doing the most good.
Next time you buy your white chocolate mocha, use your Blackberry, or read your Bible, think about the people whose livelihoods, perhaps across the globe, you are supporting. Sip that latte with your chin-up. Your habit is putting food on the table for over 75,000 rural farmers in the developing world.
Dig into the ethical policies of your favorite companies, as you are voting with each of your purchases and charitable donations. Are you voting for candidates you believe in?
by Chris Horst | Apr 7, 2010 | Blog |
I often get asked by friends for book recommendations on helping the poor. There are many wonderful texts on this important topic, but here are a few of my favorites, all of which are very reader-friendly:
- Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life, Robert Lupton – Probably the most influential 100 pages I have read on this topic. Lupton’s focus is on his experience in domestic urban ministry, but the principles are broadly relevant. I wrote an entire post about this book last year.
- Giving Wisely or When Helping Hurts, Jonathan Martin or Brian Fikkert/Steve Corbett – I share these two as an either/or because there are such similar themes woven throughout both books (in short: we need to closely examine whether our attempts to “help” internationally are truly helping). Giving Wisely is a must-read for all missions pastors/committees and is oriented towards church programs to help the poor. When Helping Hurts is still a nationwide bestseller, nearly a year after its release, which is indicative of this book’s poignancy.
- The Poor Will be Glad, Peter Greer – Full disclosure: Four years ago, I was Peter’s executive assistant at HOPE International, where I still work. After returning from a trip to Afghanistan, Peter handed me a stack of his own wrinkled business cards with small handwritten notes lining both sides. These business cards, the only paper available to Peter as he flew over Afghanistan in a rusty Russian helicopter, were the first draft of this book. Peter asked me to translate the scrawling into a Word document. Fast forward to October, 2009…and the book was published by Zondervan and is on its third printing. I have already identified my personal bias, but, that aside, this is an excellent book, specifically if you want to learn more about Christ-centered microfinance. And it’s loaded with award-winning photography — who doesn’t love a good picture book?
There are a few excellent academic books, which are fantastic if you are looking to dive a bit deeper. These books are not easy reads, but each is loaded with great content:
- Walking with the Poor, Bryant Myers – Great overview of why Christians should be concerned with helping the poor. Myers also outlines the theological underpinnings for how we should help.
- The Bottom Billion, Paul Collier – An examination of what makes poor countries poorer, and on what factors have prevented these poor countries and their citizens, the bottom billion, from entering the global economy.
- Portfolios of the Poor, Stuart Rutherford – How do the poor really live on less than $2 day? This book looks at the financial habits, tools and coping mechanisms the poor use to manage meager incomes.
- The Mystery of Capital, Fernando de Soto – The title is a great summary. De Soto looks at why capitalism has thrived in many parts of the world, but not caught on in others. Focuses heavily on property rights, legal systems and financial inclusion.
- White Man’s Burden by William Easterly or Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo – As you might surmise, these two books illuminate the incredibly low ROI the West has received from the trillions of dollars we have invested in aid in the developing world. Both Easterly and Moyo are scathing in their criticism of aid, but the data is irrefutable. In most cases, there is an inverse relationship in countries between a) the amount of government aid received and b) the prosperity of its citizens.
That should get you started. Have I missed any of your favorites?
by Chris Horst | Apr 2, 2010 | Blog |
Two weeks ago my grandma, Gaye, passed away. She lived a powerful 93 years with days that were full until the very end. Her website (yes, she has her own website, and yes, her funeral was streamed throughout the world) is proof that she touched and loved many. Last week I had the honor of giving a tribute at her funeral along with other family members. Below I’ve posted my tribute.
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I could feel the dirty looks coming at me from across the table. I learned to expect them when we sat down for a meal at Gaye’s house. Because once again… Gaye had remembered.
While the smell seemed to indicate that dinner was going to be a typical meal of Brunswick stew – a delicious, hearty soup the taste of which made the presence of lima beans bearable for most… I knew better.
Somewhere Gaye had found out that I not only loved Brunswick Stew, but that those lima beans, the very ones that other cousins and siblings were trying to pick around, were my favorite part. She discovered that I was a lover of lima beans and perhaps even suspected that I had experienced a slight depravity of lima beans at home.
So as visits went by, Gaye gradually began increasing the proportion of lima beans in the stew until it became a bowl of lima beans with a little Brunswick stew on the side.
When we sat at the table our bowls confirmed what I had hoped and my family dreaded. This meant much more to me than a delicious dinner. It meant I was remembered. Known.
Somehow though I lived hundreds of miles away, had 19 cousins to contend with, and grew up seventy years after her own childhood. She made the effort, took the time, to know, to celebrate, to remember. This wasn’t an exception in the life of Grace Wolgemuth. I’ve heard stories from countless individuals this week – though your moments with her may have been few you felt as if you had a true friend, a deep relationship. She knew, celebrated, and remembered you as well.
She did what it took to know others. Conversations were intentional and her attention was fully yours. Beyond phone calls and visits as a 93 year old woman, she was able to keep up with e-mails and follow blogs. I think given another year, she probably would have tweeted.
When I called to tell her I was engaged. She said, “We’re kindred spirits. We both found our soul mates in Lancaster.”
I desperately want to be a kindred spirit with her. But I’m afraid it’ll take a lot more than marrying a Lancaster boy. Today, I reflect on a life spent knowing, celebrating, and remembering. And it begs the questions. Do I know? Do I take the time? When the moment comes, will I know whose bowl to put extra lima beans in?
(Alli)
by Chris Horst | Mar 17, 2010 | Blog |
Charles Dickens originally released his literary classic A Tale of Two Cities in weekly installments in the 1850’s. In this vein, join me on a voyage, in monthly installments, to two fictional cities, Assetsville and Needsville—both poor communities in Africa.
I doubt any two topics are creating more news in our country right now than healthcare and job creation. And rightly so—they are important issues. In both Assetsville and Needsville, healthcare and job creation are also major issues. Easily-treated illnesses like malaria and diarrhea have wreaked havoc on families in these cities. Even buying medicine is a lethal guessing game. Job creation is a related and serious issue. In both cities, millions are unemployed and nearly everyone is underemployed. These cities feature identical problems, yet remarkably different approaches to addressing these issues.
In Assetsville, churches, charities and government assistance are focused, as you might imagine, on building on the existing resources and strengths of the community. As a result, hopefulness, respect, and mutuality line the streets. In Needsville, the same types of groups are focused not on the assets, but on issues, weaknesses and problem-solving. As a result, these groups collectively form a proverbial toolbox designed to repair Needsville’s problems. Sadly, this approach has driven out entrepreneurialism, community initiative, and even self-worth. Because of these differences in values, Needsville and Assetsville are worlds apart in their approaches to healthcare and job creation.
Needsville worked with various government agencies to establish foreign-run health clinics to address these serious problems. These clinics are facing insatiable demand for their services. The city also hosts teams of medical volunteers which come to treat common illnesses, conduct surgeries and bring in as much medicine as they can carry. These groups make a huge difference, but come sporadically. With these initiatives, incentives to provide good service are lacking, resulting in dim prospects of long-term viable health solutions in Needsville. In regards to jobs, healthcare is provided almost exclusively to the people of the community, but is not provided by the people of the community.
In Assetsville, however, a different story unfolds. Many new initiatives bring hope that quality healthcare and real job creation are not pipe dreams. A locally-run microfinance institution recently partnered with an innovative healthcare provider to provide loans to nurses interested in business ownership. These nurses buy franchises from the healthcare provider, receive training and purchase start-up medical kits (shoulder bags complete with malaria tests, a thermometer, medicines and supplies), which enables them to treat 70% of common illnesses. They do not work out of a facility. Rather, these nurses travel to their neighbor’s homes and bring quality healthcare to the people.
Another fresh organization uses a similar solution for vision problems. Aspiring entrepreneurs are trained to diagnose and fit eyeglasses and thousands of Assetsville residents are now working more effectively, learning to read, and seeing the world in a whole new way. In the center of the city, aspiring business owners opened several new pharmacies, providing legitimate medicine and health supplies to those living downtown. Entrepreneurship, employment, and the engine of business, are driving innovation and quality healthcare service.
Two similar cities. Two vastly different prospects for the future of healthcare and job creation. But these cities have issues beyond healthcare. What about education? Food? Clean water? Financial services? Future installments will examine these issues at greater depth.
by Chris Horst | Mar 12, 2010 | Blog |
Anyone who is or has been pregnant is familiar with the popular book for new parents-to-be, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. But, we’d like to propose the sequel: What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting to be Expecting. Here would be our suggested chapter outline:
- If you have had three positive pregnancy tests; you’re probably pregnant
- Timing…overrated.
- How to throw your five year plan out the window
- When reality hits: I just heard the heartbeat
- It’s OK to think your first ultrasound images are a cross between adorable and alien
- Spousal encouragement 101: “It’s a baby bump, not pooch”
- What to say when your 4th grade students tell you you’re getting fat
- Birthing 101: Dad, welcome to a whole new world…you have got a lot to learn.
And yes, we are expecting!
