Note to Self

Dear Michelle,

I understand that you want to get involved with education in Haiti.  Improving primary school for children in such a challenged area is certainly a wonderful goal.  I know that you are a passionate educator with inspired ideas and a collaborative mindset.  But I want to talk to you about the world of development, a world fraught with pitfalls, unintended consequences, and complexities beyond our imagination.

Remember yourself as a student, back in 2001, in Madagascar?  You were blown away by what you saw, and convinced that someone like yourself could help.  But even then, as a complete novice, the work of the local Peace Corps volunteers puzzled you.  Even after being there only a few months, you could turn your head and say, “Why are they doing that kind of project? It doesn’t make any sense.”  Those were your first inklings, welcome to the quagmire of development.

You may have followed the news a bit about the relief efforts after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but you may not fully recognize the complexity of what some call “toxic development”. The aid that flowed into Haiti following the quake failed to recognize the real needs of the Haitian people, and many critics argue that aid (historically and following the quake) made the situation even worse.  Would you believe that Clinton’s food program actually undermined Haitian agriculture and paralyzed their ability to grow their own food?  That well-meaning aid workers spread the Cholera that killed thousands? The criticism is so strong that many think developers should get out of Haiti all together.  To begin, make sure you read the book “The Big Truck that Went By” by Jonathan Katz.

So what are you going to do there?  How do you avoid repeating these mistakes?  How do you avoid others turning their head to you and saying, “Why are they doing that kind of project? It doesn’t make any sense.”

I have two main suggestions and pleas to you before you get involved in this kind of work.  First, really examine why you want to be involved in this project. Is it for adventure, for you own catharsis, to relieve a burden of guilt of doing nothing, out of pity?  Do you think it will “look good” on your resume or impress your peers?  These are all bad reasons to go, and can lead to toxic development. On the other hand, are you ready (really ready) to learn, observe, listen, and work tirelessly and endlessly for the Haitian people, for their needs, for their agenda, for their empowerment? 

The second plea is, to quote Ernesto Sirolli, “Shut up and listen”.  Avoid being maternal or patronizing.  Abandon your agenda, forget about teaching anybody anything.  Go, and listen. Ask questions, learn Kreyol, read as much as you can about the history and culture of Haiti, seek to understand, not to be understood.  Involve the local community as much as you can, learn their priorities.  Assess their needs, listen to them, find a way to be empowering and sustainable, and find real benchmarks by which to measure your success.

Through diligence, purposeful planning, and lots of hard and careful work, I believe real progress can be made in Haiti. Success will come only if we devote ourselves to following the lead of the Haitians, listening to them, and empowering them. Easier said than done, good luck to you with your work!