The Troubled World of International Aid and a Reflection on Rotary

A moment I will never forget was perhaps my most disheartening moment of the year, and yet, my proudest moment of Rotary. 

A friend and I were at dinner with two gentlemen from Geneva who were doing fieldwork in Ghana as part of a nutrition-focused NGO. They asked about my research work in Accra and my background in geochemistry and health. Laughing, they said that their NGO could probably use that background in geochemistry even though the NGO dealt with nutrition. One mentioned that though he knew nothing about nutrition- having background in international development- he has set the fortification standards for five countries, a fact he admitted was scary. Both men looked at me morosely and uttered, “Never go humanitarian.” 

The men talked of their frustration with large international organizations that have problems sticking to their code of ethics and problems making sustainable projects. They said they have been kicked out of meetings because they stood up to the authorities. They said they have seen schools built where uneducated teachers were brought in to teach. They said there is too much money to be made by keeping people poor and hungry. They said it has destroyed their childhoods.

This news was Earth-shattering to me, especially as someone who envisioned working with such an organization in the future. At this moment, I finally realized what was so incredibly special and unique about Rotary. It was exactly what has confused me about Rotary in the past. I was always uneasy about the business and networking aspects of Rotary, that Rotarians were often well-to-do, with comfortable salaries and prominent careers. How much could these people know about suffering? It was almost as if Rotarians were conservative hippies- business people who still wanted world peace. Then it hit me. Rotarians use their careers for humanitarian purposes; the humanitarian work is not necessarily their careers. This set-up is ingenious. The world needs well-to-do people who also care about hunger, poverty, and education. For instance, take Rotary’s six main areas of focus: peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. They recognize it is in everyone’s best interest to address these issues. Rotarians can have dignity in their careers, whatever they may be, then also find dignity in how they use their careers for service. This is why Rotary projects are so sustainable. When I met William Boyd, the chair of the Rotary Foundation, he said that Rotary projects are about 95% sustainable, which is tremendously successful. This level of sustainability makes sense: for one, Rotarians have a background of skills and knowledge, and secondly, they have no reason to try to make a project that will only work for the short-term. I had never been so proud of Rotary than at the end of that evening. It all finally made sense.

Ambassadorial Stories Pt II: Perceptions of Ghana

My perception of Ghana has evolved tremendously- from the time when I met my first Ghanaian friend at Lawrence University to the time I was assigned to the University of Ghana to my first experiences with the country, and now. First semester, I remember being a little bit frustrated with things in Ghana. Sometimes it was the lack of information flow at the University: not knowing how to register or class schedules and assignments changing at the last minute with only a few students being alerted. Sometimes it was the preachers calling you a sinner, cutoffs of electricity and water, or the hot weather and biting insects. Sometimes I would feel like this place was just wildly different from home. One morning was particularly difficult. It was Christmas Day and I was terribly uncomfortable in the heat as my roommate and I sat in a taxi on our way to my host family’s house. I remember so clearly walking into their living room that day. Upon seeing a Christmas garland draped above their sofa and a small Christmas tree with lights sitting in the corner, I was almost brought to tears. It was so beautiful, making me realize this place was not so different after all. There I was in the love of my family, just as Christmas ought to be.

There were some Ghanaian customs to which it took a while to grow accustomed. For example, when eating in public you are always expected to share your food with the people around you, or at least say, “You’re invited.” I was at first confused when someone would take a big bite out of my ice cream or take my last spring roll.  Yet, my view of this norm changed with time. It went from surprise and confusion to the realization that sharing is valued here and it is expected that the person ordering food buys for all, or that the first person on a bus takes care of the fare for those with him. Kindness is expected. That is not a bad thing, but it took me a while to recognize such.

The most difficult question I received in Ghana - which came much too frequently - was, "So, how do you find the place? How do you see Ghana? How do you like it here?" I found this question so difficult because there were tremendous ups and downs to every day.  Yes, I liked the friendly people and welcoming attitudes, but living in Ghana can be tough. My personal living conditions were not horrible, and it was still tough. The thing that always gets me is just how many ways there are of living in Ghana, largely based on socio-economic status. My host family for example has a nice house, personal cars, 7 children who all speak English fluently, secure jobs, and good educations. A classmate has working class parents who own a small canteen and catering business, have things like a car and air conditioner, but have specifically budgeted for their son to attend the University. Then I have a friend whose entire family works in the market. As 7th out of 9 children, he managed to send himself to school, rent a single-room apartment in a "dusty" part of Accra and pays for electricity as the money comes. Never having left Accra, he says I now know the country better than he does. All these people are truly Ghanaian, just like I may be American but have a much different life than a neighbor in Wisconsin. It is not that income disparities do not exist in the US or other countries; it is that the results of income disparities are so obvious in Ghana that at times it seems wildly unjust and more than a little heart-breaking. 

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          When I first began traveling internationally, I expected to be embarrassed of being an American.  In addition to finding anti-American sentiments, I expected to find ways of doing things that were just so much better than the way we do things at home. However, the opposite happened. Traveling instilled in me a great pride for the United States by helping me recognize the calmness and organization in our country and of course the kindness of the people. While traveling, I met people who wanted to attend school in the states and people who followed American football teams.  

At one point during the year, I was chatting online with a Ghanaian friend from Lawrence who was working in the US at the time. During the conversation he happened to mention that going to school in the United States made him so much prouder of Ghana. So here I was in Ghana, being proud of the United States, while he was there in the United States telling me it made him prouder of Ghana. I started to think that maybe our pride has no bearing on which country actually deserves more pride. To shed light on the issue, I asked my roommate from Botswana if living in Accra made her more proud of Botswana. She said absolutely. 

Perhaps experiencing something new makes you appreciate what you have. Perhaps your living style gives you comfort while it may not bring the same sense of comfort to others. When you feel proud of your country, take a minute and think about why you feel that way. It might be a revealing exercise.

Ambassadorial Stories Pt. I

By learning about customs in Ghana, I completed half of my role in spreading goodwill and understanding. With understanding come respect and acceptance. If I could come to understand that country, my discussions of Ghana back home would also spread understanding through fair and truthful stories. But understanding is two-way; it must be two-way in order to spread goodwill and peace. This meant that my interactions with people there also needed to increase their understanding of me.

 I have contributed to this in many ways. The most obvious ways were through interactions with friends and peers who asked questions or listened to my stories of home. The less obvious methods were through one-time interactions with acquaintances or strangers. For instance, countless taxi drivers have pleaded, “Take me to your country! There are jobs there. You do not have to be poor like here.”  In these instances I usually smiled and said that yes, I love the United States, but life can be very difficult there. Even many Americans have difficulty finding jobs. It is never as easy as it seems. 

An example of an encounter that stands out in my mind occurred one day when I was studying in my department. Another student sitting behind me said hi, introduced himself, then asked me why America thinks their form of democracy will work for everyone.  "Why do you think your democracy is the only democracy?" he wondered. To give context, this was just a few weeks after Gaddafi was killed, and the young man explained why he thought Gaddafi was a good leader. He said Gaddafi made Libya a prosperous nation- much more prosperous than Ghana. Perhaps his most intriguing point was that the United States did not start out having everyone in the country vote. The poor, uneducated, blacks, and women, were all kept from that "right" as it would later become. Likewise, he believed, the illiterate in Ghana also should not vote. Such people were bringing in leaders who were unfit to lead. Ghana was not ready for the United States' democracy. I had never heard an argument like this before and as such I took quite a bit of time before responding. Essentially, I said that I do not think America has one form of democracy with which every one agrees. The US has over 300 million people and you would be hard-pressed to find two citizens that share the exact same collection of political beliefs. In fact, some of the worst schisms between neighbors occur because of disagreements on government. What we do generally agree on, I emphasized, are basic things like human rights and individual freedoms. Though I have never been into government or politics, I tried to give him my (relatively uncontroversial) view on the US. This incident made me think. Standing up for your country is like standing up for a family member: you can recognize when it has done something wrong, but hope it changes and love it all the same. As an Ambassador, I pray my interactions with others have increased understanding about my home in a positive way.