I have a fair share of criticism for the big boys, often because they’ve done their project planning without the participation of the communities, thrown money around wastefully, or flat out fostered corruption. In our last term I had almost zero contact with the big boys, and it was much easier to belly-ache about their work. One of the biggest changes in my new role is that I regularly meet with the big boys to discuss various issues in WASH work (water, advocacy, sanitation, hygiene). Today was one of those meetings, so tonight I will share some of my reflections with you.
I used to have nothing good to say about the big boys, that is, before I knew them personally. Like I said, I had a fair bit of criticism, and it was easy to spout it, when I had never met them. Now that I meet them regularly, I have had to assess my previous blanket judgment upon them. In the process of this assessment, I have found some unexpected qualities in a number of the big boys. Sure, some things I outright disagree with remain there, but when I acknowledge the positives I have seen in these individuals, I have had to adjust how I think about and engage with them. Rather than holding a defensive posture so that these guys will not pollute our project, I think it is much better to let them see that in fact, my guard is down, and I’m interesting in talking and learning. It appears very clear in our meetings that when I do this, they follow suit. It’s been a decision on my part to focus more on their qualities than their deficiencies. It has opened up some really positive interactions, and these boys, as big as they are, are interested in hearing how we operate on values that are very unique to their own. These guys are probably some of the most intelligent men in this country, so they are already distinguished from the common person here. They are able to see some of the deficiencies in their own culture, indeed they are sad over the state of their nation and people. By acknowledging their individual qualities and leaving the critique of their culture to them, they have willingly opened up to us and accepted some of our advice on how to do things differently. I wish more Americans could make this discovery about people of this religion in general and this country in specific. I sense way too much fear coming out of America, directed to this part of the world. Fear causes defensiveness, and that shuts down the whole positive process I have just described. I pray you have opportunities to face down your “big boys”, and make people out of them.
On an entirely different topic: One of the agenda items at every meeting with the big boy is giving program updates. We go around the room sharing what has been good, bad, and ugly in our work lately. One of the biggest of the big boys shared that they are expanding their work in the most insecure portions of the province. You should know that the level of security varies widely from place to place. People here know, generally, where is safe and where is not. This guy said they were headed straight into the valleys of the province that are controlled by the insurgents. This is no secret to the government; most of the local government there have been assassinated and replaced with “shadow” government (dark stuff indeed, and don’t worry, we have no intention whatsoever to wander there). How on earth can this aid organization go there you ask? Good question. Another one of the big boys posed this question, and it started an interesting discussion. It was interesting because the big boys were showing their 2 strongest motives: service to their people, and money. Perhaps money is the greater of those motives for most people here. Let’s face it, poverty and war have destroyed so much, all families need income. Many are corrupt, but many are astonishingly generous, and sometimes at the same time- money works very differently here. Why is there money involved in going to the dangerous corners of the province? Because there’s underserved populations there, and big donors (that give grants to big boys) have millions ear-marked for infrastructure, rehabilitation, and development in insurgent zones, with the intention of winning people away from the fanaticism and violence of the insurgents. The NGO leader that accepts the task of going to these extremely dangerous places will earn a huge salary, as long as he doesn’t get killed. The payoff is so great that for some of them, it’s a risk worth taking. I really don’t like this, but I thought it fair to include this part of the story because it tempers the other part. The other strong motive among the big boys is to serve their people. They’re sick of their people suffering violence and poverty, and they want to do something. They believe the projects they run will make a big difference in lives and communities. The question from one big boy to the group was, “how do we run projects in insecure areas?” The man who is taking the biggest risks told us what measures he is taking, but the question remains on the table for our next meeting at the end of the month. Anyone want to offer counsel I can take to the big boys?
I can so relate to this post Andy! In my work, I have learned also that it is best to get to know people based on your own interactions with them, not based on someone else's perception or opinion of them.
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