Development Done Right

Whenever someone tells me they went on a “service” trip in some poor country to build houses or something of the like; I need to hide my grimace and force myself not to say something really rude. There’s a variety of books on the topic of how foreign intervention hurt Africa. Good intentions are not enough, “white savior complex” is a real thing. Not all foreign aid is always helpful. And not all development is sustainable. When going on our Altiplano visit last week those were the thoughts lingering in my mind, what does development and aid look like in this region? Luckily, the Suyana Foundation has very a sustainable and workable model. Instead of throwing money at issues and then wondering what to do once funds dry up, this foundation is utilizing a technique that relies mostly on providing expertise and self-motivation for improvement. Families in the Altiplano have been living there for generations, dealing with its harsh and unforgiving environment every single day. It is their home and even though things are not easy; they are fiercely proud and protective of it. Suyana is able to use those sentiments and provide the necessary know-how for these families to better their own lives. Pride is such an important part of aid and development, people in need of help do not need to be given the feeling that they are victims of their unfortunate circumstance and are now being saved by whatever agency, because this is psychologically harmful. Giving people the feeling that they are capable of helping themselves is so important. Only through this approach can we yield results such as a local villager beaming at us and recounting how he did all this himself. Investing in people and allowing them to become multipliers (like the SATIRI program) is the only way these communities don’t become reliant while still ensuring constant improvement. Conditions in the Altiplano are bad, and they are only deteriorating due to external factors such as climate change. But people are not ready to give up, the old man wanting to build a museum and the young municipal worker dedicated to facilitating tourism to the area, people are highly motivated and actively looking for solutions. Fostering this energy and directing it is how Suyana ensures notions of success. These successes might not always look that way to external eyes, but small improvements have big effects on people’s health, living situation, and emotional well-being. An ecological toilet and PET sink are big wins (even though they don't immediately seem that way to someone hailing from New York City) and should be celebrated as such.