What is the difference between a group of men in the countryside who pooled their resources and built 10KM of road by hand so they can get their produce to market and a group of men who sit around all day playing dominoes and drinking saying they have nothing? I am asking this as a serious question. Both groups have about the same level of education (primary school or no formal schooling). All have had exposure to agriculture. Some are Christian and some are not. Most have kids, some with more than one woman in both groups. Some take care of their kids, some don't. One difference is age and the other is location. The group that built the road is way out in the country and they are probably 35-60. The group that hangs around doing not much is 18-35 and lives near town.
Is it generational? Is it broken families? Is it outside influences? Is it isolation? Desperation? I don't know. I do know that I am encouraged by hearing what a group of people can do when they put their resources together and I want to figure out a way to transmit that information, desire, drive or whatever it is to this group of young men.
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About Me
- Kelly
- Port Au Prince, Haiti
- If you are reading this you most likely know that I am working with Christian Veterinary Mission in Haiti. I have a webpage with CVM as well that is new as of August 2007. www.cvmusa.org go to long-term field workers Latin America or just click on my wishlist to help me stay in Haiti and continuing serving the Lord and the wonderful people of Haiti.
1 comment:
Kelly, This sounds like fatalism to me in the group closer to town. Small things have been tried and failed so why bother trying? Small successes are one approach to this. Also a history of dependency. Has this group seen more failure and less success in those around them? Have they been promised help from outside which stripped their (or their parents) dignity and caused them to lose incentive while the others had hardworking parents who modeled initiative and efforts that yielded successes? Fatalistic Christianity can also play a role here versus Biblical Christianity of being a new creation in Christ, with hope founded in Christ. Saw this fatalism alot in Hindu Nepal.
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