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living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com
Do me a favor, and leave your comments about this post.
The people who need to read this will never see this. Why do gringos feel they have the solution to every country's need that they tend to gravitate towards? They seem to have all the answers and other countries outside of Canada and the U.S. have governments that are shit.
I'm not against NGOs but I really believe for some it is a badge to wear. I recently read that a person was working in a rural area taking donations to poor people. I couldn't disagree with this method at all. We are doing the same here at home. The person in question, after writing and receiving a nasty response, had stated that a woman with four children was living in a cardboard shack. I get it! However, wouldn't you have questions that go beyond that? Where is the father? Why does she have four children she cannot feed in a house made of cardboard with no running water or electricity?
What would we do in Canada or the U.S. as there are people who live like that? We would call CPS (Child Protective Services). Why on God's green Earth would you want children to live in a shack without services in the sweltering heat?
I wrote the individual a letter and received a nasty response of, "I've been doing this for umpteen years and I won't read past your first paragraph". I offered to make a donation but the person refused. Two hundred USD goes a long way for a family of four.
The gist of my letter was to question why you wouldn't work with government agencies and also not spread the word to make sure that the family has the children registered in a public school. Because if they are registered in a public school they will be receiving money every month that will help to feed and clothe them. It was also stated that there are many girls, age 15, walking around pregnant or with babies in arms. Doesn't that raise a flag to you? Mexico offers free birth control pills, IUDs, condoms as well as vasectomies. Hopefully, a person would want to change this be it the culture or not. I respect women's reproductive rights. How about handing out some pamphlets on the subject in Spanish provided by a government organization.
You all know I believe in the least amount of government intervention but when it comes to the well being of citizens those services need to be and are provided and essential.
How will we ever progress as a nation if we continue to rely on handouts?
As a side note, Presidente Dingus proudly announced today that remittances from the U.S. were at an all-time high(money sent to families in Mexico from Mexicans working in the U.S.) . Funny isn't it? Presidente Dingus Socialista is against neoliberals but is happy to receive funds from them to the toon of 4 billion USD just in the month of April. Boy, what a guy. Dubious to say the least.
It would seem that NGO’s have a story to tell and don’t want that story questioned I suspect that government benefits already available clash with the controlled narrative. I could speculate about the birth control issue, but that would probably be unfair without knowing more. Obviously, pregnancy avoidance at fifteen is important.
ReplyDeleteYou probably know this, but Mexicans are against many forms of contraception. Some people of means use condoms, but most are against pills, vasectomies etc. They don't even like having dogs neutered. Some of it comes from the Catholic Church, but a lot is cultural.
ReplyDeleteMany do-gooders are self-serving. They do fund collection at home in the US and Canada in the summer and then subsidize their trip to Mexico, Southeast Asia, Africa, even Oman and Dubai, doing works that could have Breen done by someone who is already there, using the cost of their trip to actually accomplish something.
The cultural divide is hard for us to understand. I lived in Mexico for 5 years. At one time, I found that the Government of Canada was willing to give a continuing grant of $10,000 per year to sustainable businesses, especially ones operated by indigenous women. Myself and a friend had been teaching English in a small town outside of Patzcuaro, and we attempted to start a fish farming co-op in the town. The women didn't trust us doing something for nothing, and We're afraid that some people in the co-op wouldn't work as hard as them, but would still benefit.
Non-starter. We did still teach English though, to people who dealt with tourists so they could communicate with possible customers.
Thanks for your comment. Yep, contraception is a tough one. Men in general don't like to use condoms. It's like vasectomy, such an easy operation but they would prefer to put women through the sterilization process instead or just continue to have kids. Culture reigns here in Mexico but we need to stop using it as an excuse to move forward. You are right on with your comments especially about do-gooders. Patzcuaro is a nice place. We spent over two months last year nearby in Santa Clara del Cobre. There we learned so much more about the failures of the Mexican Revolution. I love Mexico, I just don't like to see nor do I believe people have to suffer.
DeleteSorry for the errors. Breen should be been, and We're should be were. For some reason Autocorrect will change things when I post them.
DeleteI tend to avoid NGO's as in my experience they have their own agenda, either stuffing religion down people's throats or taking the lion's share of donations for themselves in one way or another. My charity is more direct in the form of buying a families groceries, a tank of gas or a meal. I know they have to learn of the government services available and of the processes needed to apply for them but when the table is empty and the kids are hungry there is only one thing that will help.
ReplyDeleteI wish I were smart enough to know the way to make things "right" for all of the people in the world. But I bet if we put our heads together, we would do better than the politicians.
ReplyDeleteMike and Deb, You're right. I just finished the PBS Newshour and they had a Q&A on the virus. One question from a teacher, "How can we go back to the classroom and stay safe?" Why are we waiting for government to make these decisions? In this case, why aren't teachers banning together and looking for solutions while they are at home and have some (at least a little) free time to work out a solution? Same with social distancing, helping those in our neighborhoods that need support financially and emotionally. Amazing how far you can stretch a 20 dollar bill and you multiply that. How many have received their $1200 stimulus check and really don't need it and could give 10% to someone who needs it. United we stand.
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