While traveling from country to country, I meet wonderful souls-directors, founders, volunteers, and staff. These select people are wonderful because they have passion for the population and the community they serve. They put their own culture behind and they truly focus on the community needs in front of them.
Unfortunately, there are those who perform great work, but they are too influenced by their superiority within their own culture. They want to "bash" the community on their off hours or even while on the clock. This can be truly hurtful to a population when they are constantly belittled. They are assigned low expectations because they live in an under privileged community with poor education, poverty, and environmental setbacks. It becomes a disaster theory when a foreigner believes people cannot individually succeed because their culture is doomed. This leads them to push their culture, values, and morals onto the person/community.
Unfortunately, this was presented to me by one of the staff. They reported constantly feeling devalued and being called "stupid." The person claimed that even with all "her efforts," it was impossible to change their cultural mindset. While this is often a huge road block, it is just the reality of working with these populations. They live on an island where they follow their culture within their tribe or area. Most of these locals have never even left the island except for a trip on the boat to La Ceiba. It is not the fault of the people for the culture they were brought into and empathy needs to be substituted for superiority. It is one thing to think you are superior and it's another thing to present that you are superior. When you present it, you can be hurting rather than helping a population.
An example of hurting involves my friend's feeling hurt with indirect speech. It was said in front of her, "It's hard working everyday with stupid, uneducated minds." My friend was the only local that was there and she was not suppose to hear that, but she did. She reported not being surprised at all as those comments are made everyday. She feels no appreciation or praise working there. She is working their temporarily and she is so eager to leave. With all these constant comments, she feel devalued as a worker and a human being. Usually, my reassurance works, but this time she had no hope for change left inside her.
It must be noted that this person cared very much about working with kids and had a very good spirit. Unfortunately, her negativity towards their improvement and change was extremely present. Her superiority did shine through and that is when a problem comes. Of course, we all get frustrated when we don't see the change we expect. But the change will come when we believe in people. One may be working with a community long term for ten years, twenty years, or thirty years. But we must never lose the belief in people. When that happens, we lose our direction and superiority is in a harmful place. Staying on a hopeful or faithful track is always a bit more positive.
PRIS
Unfortunately, there are those who perform great work, but they are too influenced by their superiority within their own culture. They want to "bash" the community on their off hours or even while on the clock. This can be truly hurtful to a population when they are constantly belittled. They are assigned low expectations because they live in an under privileged community with poor education, poverty, and environmental setbacks. It becomes a disaster theory when a foreigner believes people cannot individually succeed because their culture is doomed. This leads them to push their culture, values, and morals onto the person/community.
Unfortunately, this was presented to me by one of the staff. They reported constantly feeling devalued and being called "stupid." The person claimed that even with all "her efforts," it was impossible to change their cultural mindset. While this is often a huge road block, it is just the reality of working with these populations. They live on an island where they follow their culture within their tribe or area. Most of these locals have never even left the island except for a trip on the boat to La Ceiba. It is not the fault of the people for the culture they were brought into and empathy needs to be substituted for superiority. It is one thing to think you are superior and it's another thing to present that you are superior. When you present it, you can be hurting rather than helping a population.
An example of hurting involves my friend's feeling hurt with indirect speech. It was said in front of her, "It's hard working everyday with stupid, uneducated minds." My friend was the only local that was there and she was not suppose to hear that, but she did. She reported not being surprised at all as those comments are made everyday. She feels no appreciation or praise working there. She is working their temporarily and she is so eager to leave. With all these constant comments, she feel devalued as a worker and a human being. Usually, my reassurance works, but this time she had no hope for change left inside her.
It must be noted that this person cared very much about working with kids and had a very good spirit. Unfortunately, her negativity towards their improvement and change was extremely present. Her superiority did shine through and that is when a problem comes. Of course, we all get frustrated when we don't see the change we expect. But the change will come when we believe in people. One may be working with a community long term for ten years, twenty years, or thirty years. But we must never lose the belief in people. When that happens, we lose our direction and superiority is in a harmful place. Staying on a hopeful or faithful track is always a bit more positive.
PRIS
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