Today’s breakfast for the brain was another serving of Toxic Charity and a hot cup of Good African Coffee. Lipton shares 3 essential elements for successful microloans:

1. An ingrained work ethic
2. A demonstrated entrepreneurial instinct
3. A stable support system

How am I supposed to measure these criteria?! It’s not effective to simply ask someone if they meet these criteria.  I wouldn’t expect someone pursuing a micro-loan to say “I am a mouth-breathing slacker who sits around all day rarely moving unless I happen to be

threatened by imminent death or dismemberment – I want you to give me money so I can perpetuate my laziness and lack of  initiative.”  So, how do we identify evidence of an ingrained work ethic?  As with many things, I think it takes time. There has to be opportunity to see the evidence in the context of normal life.  We can all put on our best behavior when we need to perform, but the real proof is in the small decisions we make everyday. In our work in Uganda, I find that it is helpful to spend time talking with people about life in general and then reflecting back through the stories of daily minutia to identify patterns and snapshots of a person’s character.  By spending time in seeming small talk, truth is often revealed, one puzzle piece at a time. I don’t assume that people are hiding the truth on purpose  - but it is my experience that in order to connect with someone’s character, you need to enter through the garage and sit at the kitchen table rather than the front door and sit in the parlor.  Another simple reality is that a good work ethic produces.  One of my foundational beliefs is that “all hard work brings a profit” - which leads me to assume that if an individual truly has a strong work ethic then there will be something measurable to show as a result.

The second and third questions are easier to test and identify – but it is this intangible value of self-governance that is the real crux.  Especially when considering investing capital with someone – it’s a gamble on the individual and while bad instincts can be compensated for with education and mentoring; and a lack of support can be under-girded with new relationships; a lack of strong work ethic is not easily corrected.  So this elusive element is the big area of risk – it is THE field on which decisive battles against poverty are often won or lost.  It is also where an optimist such as myself can often falter as I try to see the bright side of everything.

What are your thoughts? Is the Three Legged Stool an accurate model – is it overly simplistic?  Would you put your money down under a different set of criteria?

JH

Reading through another “butt-kicker” (books that rough me up a bit and get me going in a better direction without being nice about it) – called “Toxic Charity” by Robert D. Lupton .

Page 118 is forcing me to wrestle with some of the questions I need to ask myself as we consider engaging in community economic development.  This is relevant because the Ugandan Water Project has been dabbling in micro-ec projects from the beginning.  Water is and always will be our bread and butter but working in a relational way like we do constantly brings us to the familiar doorstep of “What Next?”.  As with many things in the arena of compassion in action, there are many ways of trying to help the communities and individuals we are focused on – some are amazingly efficient and inspiring in their sustainability and integration into local culture; some suck and leave a trail of bodies in their wake. I always fear that I am on the verge of the latter, which is what keeps me learning and reading and asking if you have any better ideas.

The questions that are taunting me on page 118 are specifically geared towards micro-lending – which UWP is currently easing into in the weeks ahead. Even as I write this, I have not read what I am going to write about so I have a very real apprehension thinking about what the next few minutes may mean – could be encouraging and affirming to the steps that we have been taking to lay ground work…or I may end up pulling the few files and legal pads out of my desk and heading out back to give them a good coat of FIRE.

Into the pool…

“What are the local assets of our clients? – Begin with a database of client products, skills, abilities, and dreams.”  I would prefer to see them open with a reccomendation tostroll into a local village and go with your gut instinct on what will work, wave a magic wand and poof, everything is glitter and rainbows.  However, this methodical student approach does seem to be what we have seen to be effective in Uganda.  It’s like Michelangelo carving the epic statue of David
- he said that the statue was always in that block of marble and that he only needed to remove the excess waste and reveal what was always there.  So often the solution to a communities problems are almost entirely present in that community but hidden. Listening, watching, learning – collecting enough story to synthesize the next chapter in a way that is true to the existing characters, setting and plot.  Lipton also challenges us to look at assets at a household or communal level – appropriate because Ugandan culture is so collective.  As an American, I too often look only at what tools are in my own garage – I forget that there are others in my life ready to lend and come along side me. Our high-value of personal liberty is a strength but carries certain blind-spots.”What are the assets of this place?” – Seems simple but as I think about our partner communities I am in conflict.  Kawanda is not far from Kampala, the capital and boasts the Kawanda Agricultural Research Station.  As a result, it is an ideal community to pilot any projects related to agriculture because the community has a large part of the population that works in that field so the collective intelligence of the village swings toward agriculture.  Kivulu, by contrast, is a slum.  Our friends that do outreach to street kids in Kivulu are up against tremendous odds because of the location in which they are working.  They have a borrowed shelter in the slum and almost no recognizable resources. Are there assets in a place built on years of trash with streets lined with shacks cobbled together with bits of wood, carboard and tin?  On closer consideration they do – they have some of the most valuable resources.  They have time – many are unemployed and while we often see men women and children standing idle  - that represents and untapped resource.  Endurance – the ability to survive in Kivulu has developed a strength in those people to persevere and last in adverse conditions – an opportunity that we would run from because of its difficulty would likely appeal to our friends in this place – they are strong. Resourcefulness – in a place where there is almost nothing, nothing goes to waste – there are not leftovers, there are no garage sales.

“What’s happening in the local, national, and international markets?” This is important not only for the fact that our local partners need to plug into the greater economy, but it also assumes a core value: These people have a significant part to play because they have intrinsic value to bring to the table.  I do think this is one of the areas that I as a professional consumer can bring some expertise.  Because we have disposable income and a greater cashflow in our lives we are engaging in the marketplace in a very regular way.  Today I will at some point go out and carry on some level of commerce – at the post office, the grocery store the gas station, the bank – and all of these activities keep me plugged into the greater economy around us.  So many of my friends in Uganda still live an economically isolated life – rarely engaging in economic activity beyond the purchase of simple goods purchased from the local general store.  While we have much to learn about the Ugandan culture and economy, we are years ahead in consumer habits and much more engaged on a wider scale economically so we bring a valuable perspective to the table.

“How are entrepreneurs supported?” – This is exciting to me in particular, because this is dealing with how does a community encourage and develop a culture of entrepreneurship. Micro-Economics typically is dealing with small cottage industry type ventures with 1-5 workers and few tools or assets.  In order to “farm” entrepreneurs (which is a personal passion of mine) I have found it necessary to go even smaller than micro… to sub-atomic-theoretical-partical economics…..wait, wait – that’s too small – it’s more like Nano-Economics(tm).  These are ragged edge petri dish ventures that may look like one tool for an person or even for a group to share.  For instance – we bought a weed eater for a church that has a number of young

adults living on their own.  The machine is available to borrow by anyone in the church but they must return it in good condition and with a full fuel tank and a contribution towards replacement string and maintenance.  We look to see who is taking advantage of this machine – is there a couple of young people that use it more than others?  Who is best at finding places to themselves out with the weed eater.  Perhaps there are a few who use the machine but one in particular that takes excellent care of it.  The experiment allows for us to encourage and identify those who are ready to get into a more structured opportunity.  Nano-Economic opportunities open a door and wait to see who will walk in and take advantage.  They are some times hard to define because they isolate one or two core values of entrepreneurship to see if they will grow and reproduce.  What about more obscure nan-economic experiments – a friend of mine in Uganda who is looking to measure trustworthiness will a few individuals too hold onto some money for a period of time.  When he asks for the funds back he obviously would be disappointed if they didn’t have the funds to return but most often they have the funds.  What he really looks for is who among his test group has kept the exact pieces of currency that were given to them – our lender had noted the serial numbers of the bills before dispersing them and those who return the exact same bills have shown evidence that they held the trust as a high priority.  I have more thoughts on this but this is getting too long already.

These questions are pesky – persistent challengers to the ideas we may create on our own but there is a tremendous value to the sharpening we receive by embracing them.

jh

I honestly had no idea what to expect as I stepped off the plane and into Uganda, Africa. All I know is that my heart was beating with anticipation. We were finally here after months of support raising, preparing, and talking about what God was going to do while we were here. The sun was hot and smooth and the air smelled of a burnt sweetness I had never experienced before. We were greeted soon after by our African friends and as they helped us carry our luggage onto the bus I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of adventure would be in store for us.

We were a unique team in the fact that all of us aside from Ryan, our leader, were still in some kind of college (or university as the Ugandans called it). Looking back, I couldn’t have really asked for a better group of people to go on a missions trip with. God had given each and every one of us a special place and a specific purpose. Alone we would have been good, but together we were unstoppable. I realized God’s blessing in this area specifically with my roommate Olivia. Before the trip we had met a few times, but when we got to Uganda we really connected. I will never forget the late night talks and prayer times that we shared together. God is good in the fact He provides exactly what we need and then some, especially when we are far from home.

It’s hard for me to try and convey the things I saw, felt, and experienced in my two weeks in Uganda. I wish I had more space and more time to really refine this and explain what I mean. I myself don’t think I have even fully processed yet what happened there. I saw beautiful babies and children with dazzling smiles and big hearts so excited to see us. It was hard at times to justify that with our presence alone we could bless entire churches and villages. I was especially touched by my visit to a boy’s home called the Ssenge House.   I had time to sit and get to know a few boys. We talked about their dreams, what they do for fun, and about Jesus. These boys were so polite, gentle, and kind. They freely gave to us the little they had. They never complained about having to wake up early to do chores, or going to school until it was almost dark. It was at Ssenge house I really gained perspective.  God blesses those who trust in Him completely, whose hearts are willing to truly believe He can provide in any situation. Many I met in Africa shared this child-like faith that I think so many of us are missing in America. I’m so thankful for what God had me experience in Uganda, and I encourage all of you to step out and do the same, whether it be Africa, South America, Europe, or Asia. There is need everywhere and chances are you will receive more from your experiences then you could ever give.

Samantha (Team #9) and her new Ugandan friends

Join us at Powder Mills Park, Rand Lodge in Pitsford, NY on Saturday, April 23rd for our 2nd Ugandan Water Project 5K Run/Walk.  Last year was a great event featuring live music, great food, Ugandan crafts and lots of great people enjoying the crisp spring morning and showing support for UWP.

Download the Race Brochure (click here)

Win Fundraising Prizes (click here)

Read more…

Isaac Family Rain Water Tank, Wamala, Uganda

Our water projects are sponsored by all sorts of groups and individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Recently, we partnered with Janet Isaac Olexy who wanted to honor her family’s heritage by providing clean water for the small village of Wamala, Uganda. Their 5,000 liter tank was installed on the local church – the hub of that community. Here’s what Janet had to share about the experience:

I first heard about the Ugandan Water Project when Director, James Harrington, spoke at a Women’s Conference last March. He shared that 80% of illnesses in developing countries are caused by poor water and sanitation—things we Americans take for granted. And the solution was so simple—God provided the water through abundant rainfall and UWP provided a way to collect and use it. This was a cause I wanted to support! I wrote a check that day, but couldn’t stop thinking about UWP. I wondered if I could raise enough money to buy a tank for a Ugandan village. Then it hit me—I could ask the Isaac Clan! Read more…