My changing views on International Development

It has been way too long since my last blog post, but I have a good excuse. G9 had its In-Service Training (IST) so I was kept busy for a couple of weeks. It was wonderful getting to see everyone after 3 months. We got to share experiences, the good, the bad, the ugly.  

On to my post for today, during our time in Addis, my good friend and fellow PCV Delia met some expats. The following week she was invited to a lunch they were attending and invited me to go along with her. As soon as we arrived at the home, it felt like we had stepped out of Ethiopia and entered America. The house and yard were beautiful. They were having a barbecue for expats. Everyone was dressed so nice, in clothes that I would never dare be seen wearing in Butajira. The food was amazing. I had desert and wine!!! A lot of the people there worked for big organizations, such as the UN, Save the Children, UNICEF, etc. There were Americans, Italians, Germans, Mexicans, Columbians, and others. After a couple hours with them though, both Delia and I got the sense that these people did not step out of Addis very much, let alone their homes and workplaces. One girl stated point blank that she had no desire to visit Ethiopia. These people drive everywhere they go, so they never really step into Ethiopia. One couple lived down the block and drove … yes, drove to the home where the barbecue was at. It looked pretty ridiculous. If they do see anything of Ethiopia, they take their nice cars and stay at expensive resorts, which is far from an accurate depiction of the country. It became clear that mine and Delia’s experience in Ethiopia and the ones of these expats was very different. You could almost say we were living in two different countries. And it got me thinking. The majority of these people work for some high profile organizations. They have positions that really matter.They work in positions where they have the power to make a difference, but they never step out of their little cocoon, so how can they really be helping Ethiopia? They are the ones making big, important decisions, decisions that will probably affect a lot of people, yet they can’t really tell you anything about Ethiopians. Because even if they know Addis, I can tell you that Addis is not Ethiopia. When Delia and I walked out of there I think we were both shocked. That first week of IST I had been feeling a bit low. I was questioning myself and what I was doing. It was one of my lower points in my service thus far, but walking away from that barbecue I remember getting a feeling of happiness. It’s hard sometimes. Well it’s hard a lot. But if I’m going to live here I’d much rather do it at a similar standard than Ethiopians. That lunch was just what I needed to boost my spirits and be happy with what I am doing. (Let me be clear that not all of the expats that I described above were like this. I am only speaking in general terms)

That afternoon that Delia and I spent with the expats led perfectly to a discussion we had in one of our sessions during our second week of IST with a PC staff member. Interesting fact before I continue. I think it is important for people to get rid of any misconceptions they may have about where the US stands when it comes to foreign aid. I think many believe that the US spends too much money to help other countries and should focus more on domestic issues. Well they are wrong. Fact is, the US spends less than 1% on foreign aid!  So if anything the US should be spending more.

Back to our session during IST, the leader of our discussion started off by asking us how we felt about international development. Had our feelings of international development changed in the past 6 months? Had we become more cynical, less cynical? Was it a career we wanted to continue after our service in the Peace Corps was over? Did we think international development was helpful or hurtful in the end?

When I first got to Ethiopia, my feelings on the Peace Corps were pretty neutral. I didn’t know exactly how I felt about it. Over the past 6 months, I’ve come to believe in the Peace Corps mission. The organization has grown on me and I feel that it is one of the best development organizations out there. On the other hand, I have to be honest and say that I’ve grown much more cynical of international development work in general. At least at this point, 6 months into my service, this is where I stand. Having lunch with all those foreigners validated my feelings. I feel that the international community has created an environment in the Global South where all people see when they see foreigners is money. They aren’t wrong for thinking this. Every day I have Ethiopians who ask me for stuff. People here always want me to give, give, give, because that is all they have ever seen foreigners do. Ethiopians are always surprised at how long my stay is here because they are used to only seeing foreigners here a few weeks or a couple months at a time. I don’t want to dismiss all organizations however. I do think some do very good and necessary work. But this discussion got all of us thinking. One volunteer stated that if foreign aid stopped wouldn’t people be forced to take care of themselves and figure out how to help their country on their own? Another volunteer responded to this by saying that if Americans got out of international development, another country would just step in and do it so pulling out is not the answer. Over the years, international development work as made some progress. There is still much work that needs to be fixed within the system, but it is getting better. Also, yes the Peace Corps is a great organization but does that mean that every organization should be doing international development in the same way as Peace Corps? Is it really possible to put all international aid workers on the field, living at this standard? Would that solve any problems? I don’t think that is the answer either. The Peace Corps model is great, but we also need those organizations that give money, the ones that build the schools, the hospitals, etc. Without those buildings we can’t do any work. Overall I can conclude that we can’t just do nothing and pull out of international development. Does international development work need improvement? Absolutely. I’m proud to be in the Peace Corps but I am questioning whether or not I want to continue in this line of work when my service comes to an end. These are my feelings after only 6 months in country. They are not set in stone and will more than likely be changing throughout the next 20 months.