Comments about ‘It takes a village: Humanitarian projects better sustained with local leadership’

I enjoyed this article very much. There is much truth here. I think people want to help others, but quite often, such assistance is only forthcoming if the giver can "do it there way". Much like offering to pay for someone's education, so long as the would be student is willing to study in a specified field.

People, for the most part, want to help themselves and determine the course of their own lives. When we can assist in enabling them to do so, rather than pressing them into the mold of our choice, endeavors which actually be successful -- whether in the furthest corner of Africa or with the neighbors living next door.

The headline says it all. Feed a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach that man TO fish and he eats for a lifetime. Why can't we learn that lesson that is so obviously in front of us? Socialism won't work. Humanity needs to see the results of their hard labors to appreciate and care for what they have.

Maybe something like this would work in America, too.

If self-serving politicians and Wall Streeters would get out of the way and let American ingenuity and Americans who care help find solutions that would work without worrying about narrow, selfish ideologies.

Many of the charities in the Salt Lake Valley and elsewhere are constantly requesting help in donations of time, money and energy. In situations of disabilities I can understand needing to give help, especially if the family will not take responsibility, but many of the people are receiving items just because they are considered financially poor. Many of the poor have nicer TV's, computers, cars, etc than many of those not in the financial category of poor. An example would be to give them the opportunity to earn the fabric to make their own blankets, rather than providing an already made blanket. Then, they would feel more ownership and take care of it, rather than selling it at the swap meet or yard sale. So are we enabling or helping those so called needy in our community? I don't have a problem helping my neighbor, I just don't want to enable them to where they think everyone else needs to take care of them as was mentioned in this article.

Not again with the Hillary "It Takes A Village" mentality. People need to take the reins of their own destiny and move forward on their own. Teach them if necessary but they have to do it on their own! That's the trouble we're having now in this country,kids think the parents are going to do it for them their whole lives. Well as a parent my kids got the tools and the drive but they better be able to apply what they've learned to make it work for them.

Jimmy Rogers, a financial strategist, wrote about the counter-productive charities in Africa in his book from 10 yrs. ago. He noted that the officers of the charities or NGOs often were driving Mercedes Benz vehicles and collecting large salaries. They seemed focused on their academic studies and bringing in more money and goods to distribute. For all the money we have thrown at Africa we have little to show for it and he recommends that we bring home our charities and let the locals grow on their own. He found T-shirts from the NBA on kids in far away villages but noted that our gifts had killed off the tailoring industries and that the cotton farmers and wool growers could not compete with free clothing. Since most developed countries gained their manufacturing expertise in the textile industry (Toyota was originally a textile corp)perhaps we should let the free markets have a go of it.

Genuine assistance means you must become one with the people served. Let the people in need teach the humanitarians how best to help. We who desire to help must look at the world through the eyes of those who live in hardship conditions. Then the help can be tailor made for the people, by the people, and of the people.