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Witnessing poverty has a way of affecting one's life
profoundly. It is not just the resources the poor lack -
although that part is striking. It also is the fact that poverty
seems to persist from one generation to the next unabated.
So when I arrived in Guatemala to serve on a Medical
Spanish panel in 2004, I had never known the poverty
that Guatemala has lived with for centuries. I frankly was
unaware that any people anywhere lived with so little.
And as occurs with everyone who gets exposed to such
desperation, I faced a choice: I could go back to the
US and forget about what I had experienced; or I could
try to do something about it. The decision to stay was the
beginning of the culmination of a life-long dream.
I started Mayan Medical Aid, a non-profit, 501(c)(3)
organization, with the express purpose of funding medically
related projects to benefit the Mayan Indians of Guatemala
and Southern Mexico. But dealing with poverty was not as
simple as my naivete had led me to believe.
Money, medical supplies, and medical personnel seemed to
be the answer. And although those three elements are
necessary, they are in no way sufficient.
What stymies most efforts to provide medical care and
nutrition to the poor is a lack of understanding by outsiders
with regard to the culture and beliefs of those mired in
poverty. The lack of education, magical thinking, and
resistance to change all factor into the mix.
To understand the way the poor think, how they
make decisions, and what kinds of help you can provide,
immersion is invaluable. But once you do that, two
problems emerge.
First, when you observe the behaviors of the poor as
an outsider to the culture, you still interpret them within
the paradigm of your own culture. This fact means that
you do not necessarily understand the behavior
witnessed in the same way as that person perceives
or intends it.
Second, the reverse is true. The poor person's interpretation
of the motivations of those from the US or Europe often is
different than intended.
For example, altruism is not something most people who
live in poverty understand very well. So the question
sometimes arises as to whether there is an ill, ulterior
motive on the part of the outsiders: stealing children or
making money off of the plight of the poor.
The resolution to this confusion is no simple task. To change
the effect of your cultural influences on how you perceive and
live your life is not possible.
Stay tuned . . .
By Craig A. Sinkinson, M.D.
This column explores the cultural issues plaguing the
Third World and those who wish to make it a more
hospitable place. So, put your seat belts on, and get
ready for a ride into the unknown. - CAS
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