Encountering Poverty while Traveling or as a Tourist

Poverty is just what you imagine if you see Ethiopia from the most common western perspective or media. Poverty is pervasive here. Throughout our travels, we refuse to give money to children, adults, or anyone else who approaches us begging for monetary gifts. But we do try to carry around food as gifts. What can we do to have a real impact?

The easiest gift you are brought up with is money: it’s simple, it’s easy, and really, what’s a birr to us (less than 10 cents). And when you can obtain gratitude and a smile for only 10 cents, why not? Because money comes with responsibility, and by distributing cash, one contributes to the cycle of bad tourism. Is it responsible to hand out money to children? As soon as you do, their behavior is reinforced, and their actions continue. They come to expect that every foreigner they meet will give them money. They spend their time on the streets asking for money, rather than going to school, spending time with their families, or learning sustainable and valuable skills that might someday allow them to be successful and independent people. This just doesn’t seem fair; it doesn‘t seem that money is much of a gift after all. Giving money is not really giving at all, it’s taking. While traveling in impoverished lands, it’s hard to determine how individuals can help. From our experience, cash is seldom a help. When you donate cash, you must be responsible; you must do research and determine that your donation is going to an organization that is truly helping to alleviate poverty not reinforce it.

While in Ethiopia, I have been amazed at the effects of foreign tourism. Children in Ethiopia know two words: “You,” and “Money.” I have watched beautiful children skipping down the street with their friends, all smiles and laughter. The moment they see us, a performance begins. Happy faces disappear and are replaced by sadness and desperation and pleas for money. It’s an act, and it must work on many foreigners, otherwise they wouldn’t try. We shake hands with them and talk with them and tell them that our friendship is free. But no money.

People like to help. Often times they help because of their innate kindness; sometimes they help because other people are watching. Sometimes their help has not a shred of altruism and exists only for personal gain. But how do we make our donations last? Donating resources is a huge responsibility, not to be taken lightly, for without thought, cash donation can be detrimental. It may cause waste and new suffering. It can perpetuate cycles of corrupt bureaucracies that do not truly provide the assistance being declared.

There is good help, and there is bad help. There is help that is lasting and sustainable, and there is help that is simply a quick-fix. There is help that has wellbeing of beneficiaries as the foremost tenet, there is help that seems to lose the good intentions along the way.

We have created a note which we hand out notes for begging or speak English. “Do not become dependent on foreign toursitm ($).” it reads, “work hard fro yourself. Build Confidence and freedom. We will not give money to children who beg in the street. But we give you our friendship and friendship is precious. Free Africa. Ras.” Children are surprised by our notes. They take them as they are, as gifts. Many times they respond quickly having gotten some jist. Some ask, “What is this?” “It is a note to help you practice your English And it has messages which we use to make us stronger. You are welcome to keep it or give it back.” I instruct them. They have all kept it affectionately.

But it is a challenge to find ways of helping that are positive, especially as an individual. How do you help people? Perhaps you have experiences that can help us and others to give in positive ways?