Since this is my first official article for SocialEarth, I wanted to set the premise for what I hope most of my writings will feature: community development efforts done with excellence. My hope is to contribute to the discussion on how to effectively impact lives of people who need help through analyzing organizational methodology, leadership, and process. All of this in effort to encourage those who join the fight to eradicate poverty, provide health care, protect the environment, and raise awareness to commit to a standard of accountability in operation and growth. And I believe that this standard is found in good leadership, clear goals, and a devotion to the people and cultures we serve.
Welcome to Chiquilá
I had the privilege of spending the last two and a half weeks in the rural part of the Yucatan Peninsula in a village that is about a two-hour car ride northwest of Cancun. The splendor of hotels is replaced with intimate grass-roof huts and concrete. The songs of wild turkeys and dogs take the place of harmonious mariachi bands. But here in the village of Chiquilá, you experience the life and culture of the majority of Mexican people- a life of poverty, expensive clean water, a pending AIDS epidemic and optional education. For many, family work far out weighs the importance of a university degree and good health care is a luxury very few enjoy. This is a similar story to most underdeveloped and developing areas of the world.
As an action-oriented and practical individual, I walk into this environment, assess the issue, and come up with a solution that fits all of the key words of the non-profit lingo: scalable, effective, efficient, sustainable- all incredibly important elements. However, if I forget the reason why I want to create the solution, if ignore where I am, who I am speaking with, and the way this village lives and breathes, I’ll miss the point. Learning the lives of the people in these areas enables us to truly respond to their needs, not simply our desire to make a difference. Allow me to share a story of one of the entrepreneurs of Chiquilá: the local carpenter.
The Chiquilán Entrepreneur
His shop is an open hut with tarps he puts down for rain. Items are everywhere with no proper storage. His work desk is an unfinished table, a forgotten project. He has a saw, but this is a recent investment. His handiwork was breathtaking. He makes everything from doors to hotel beds ordered by the local tourist attraction to lamp stands. He spoke of how he fell in love with his craft as a young boy and taught himself elaborate techniques using simple tools. The detail on some of the work is flawless. He has never been trained, but uses pictures in various catalogs to teach himself other ways to create.
As we talked, I asked him about prices of various items. He sells a table with eight chairs for just over $500 USD. In turn, he asked me about prices in the US. He knows that if he had the resources, he would make far more in other countries. But exporting this work is a costly task. He has “smaller” dreams, as he put it, of owning a second hut to display his products and operating an apprentice program for those interested in learning. As a means of consistent income, his family operates a small general store selling soda, candy, and other household products.
As he continued to talk with me about this work he loves, I realized something amazing. This man took a large risk in starting this business. He did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps as a fisherman, the trade of many men in this village. He wanted to step out of the normal, a mentality that many believe is necessary when addressing the problems of our world. He has a passion for creating beauty and sharing it with others. Before I left, he promised me that he would have a gift for me when I returned to the village. He has a love that he pursues. This and his family are life to him. You can see it in his eyes.
Quick to Listen
This is a powerful lesson that encourages me to listen. It would be easy for me to walk into that village, see the growing fishing and tourism economy and encourage men to be fishermen and hotel managers. This work is plenty here. It is a viable solution to poverty. But what makes our work so wonderful is not our ability to fix, but using the resources we obtain to energize the life that people already have within them. We must support culture, not replace it. This makes it important for us to explore resources and learn how to give effectively.
There’s a proverb I love that says, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”. Our quickness to listen to the people we serve will result in a deeper informed, more intentional, and thus more fruitful success for our organizations and those we support. I look forward to spending time observing the great entrepreneurial work of organizations around the globe and hope it will be encouraging for you to see those working with you in this fight for true life.
Contributor Profile: Amy
As a 2010 Master's candidate, Amy is involved with several projects including Opportunity International and the zyOzy Foundation.
Twitter: @amycarolwolff
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