The economic downturn has many of us feeling less secure than usual about our economic well-being. These circumstances provide an opportunity for us to consider those who face such insecurity all the time: poor people both at home and abroad. Our recently published book, "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself," attempts to contribute to this conversation. Its primary audience are churches and Christian ministries that want to help the poor in their community and around the world, but most of the ideas are applicable to a much wider audience.
Poverty misunderstood
The first idea is to consider the definition of poverty. The major premise in the Western world has been that poverty is primarily a lack of material resources: Income is too low, housing is inadequate, clean water is lacking, etc. To solve these problems, it is assumed that outside resources need to be provided. In this view, the basic relationship between the non-poor and the poor is that of a provider and a receiver.
While a lack of material resources is a significant part of the equation, poverty is far more complex than this. Research has shown that when low-income people are asked about poverty, they frequently express feelings of shame. They feel less than adequate to solve their problems and are often embarrassed by this inadequacy. This aspect of poverty has been called the "poverty of being" or the "marred identity of the poor."
Now consider what happens when someone simply supplies money or other material resources to a low-income person. That person may feel even more embarrassed and inferior and may be even less likely to use his or her abilities to be productive. As a result of this handout, the low-income person has become more impoverished both relationally and economically. In contrast, the helping person might experience pride that he or she was able to solve the poor person's problem, even though the action actually made the problem worse. In fact, the underlying feelings of superiority are so prevalent in poverty alleviation work that they have been labeled the "god-complexes of the non-poor." Our efforts to help the poor can hurt both them and us.
Relief vs. development
A second idea to consider in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the appropriate approach is to use relief, development or some combination of the two. Relief is the urgent, temporary provision of resources to reduce immediate suffering from natural or manmade disasters. Relief is a "handout" and is the appropriate response when the person is incapable of helping himself or herself.
In contrast, development is a process of change in which people are moving closer to well-being. As people develop, they are better able to support themselves through their own work. Development is done with people, not for people. It involves walking together across time as well-being is restored.
Both relief and development can be appropriate interventions, but if we do relief when we should be doing development, we can actually hurt the very people we are trying to help. For example, giving food to an able-bodied person who persistently refuses to take advantage of opportunities to work will simply enable him or her to continue to live irresponsibly, thereby hindering that person's development. In such a situation, not providing relief would be the loving thing to do.
But that doesn't mean our responsibilities end. On the contrary, in this instance development is the appropriate response, requiring us to engage in the far more time-consuming task of walking alongside this person and helping him or her develop better work habits. The vast majority of the world's poor need development, not relief, yet relief is often the most common response.
Learning the ABCD's
A third important idea in addressing poverty is recognizing the danger of taking a needs-based approach in helping people who are poor. It is so common to start a conversation with a
low-income individual or community with the question "What is your problem?" or "What do you need?" An unspoken assumption is that the "outsider" will be the key to fixing the problem or meeting the need. Given that most poor people feel inferior and inadequate, it is difficult to imagine more harmful questions.
For these reasons, community development practitioners have discovered the benefits of asset-based community development. ABCD recognizes that every individual and community has a host of resources including such diverse things as land, social networks, animals, savings, intelligence, schools, creativity, production equipment, etc. It puts the emphasis on what poor people already have and asks them to consider, "What is right with you? What resources do you have that you can use to improve your life and that of your neighbors?" In addition to helping poor people take initiative and utilize their own resources, the very nature of these questions affirms their dignity and starts the process of overcoming their marred identity.
The point of ABCD is not to deny that needs and the deep-seated brokenness that undergirds them exist. Rather, ABCD starts with what the individual and community have and explores how these resources can be put into further action. Outside resources play the role of supplementing rather than supplanting the community's resources.
Difficult but rewarding
As we approach the holiday season, we will be presented with many opportunities to help the poor. This year, consider supporting organizations locally, nationally and internationally that have a fuller understanding of the nature of poverty. Look for organizations that avoid doing relief when it is not appropriate, that seek to develop an ongoing and empowering relationship with poor people, and that recognize and put into action the talents and resources of those they are trying to help. Your support may be financial, but it could also include getting engaged personally on a regular basis. Volunteering with an organization, including your local church, that is going beyond the handout approach and seeking the hand-up approach will be a difficult but worthwhile experience for everyone involved.
Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert are co-authors of "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor ... and Yourself," published by Moody Publishers. Mr. Corbett, an assistant professor of community development at Covenant College, can be reached at corbett@covenant.edu. Dr. Fikkert, an associate professor of economics and community development at Covenant, can be reached at fikkert@covenant.edu.
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