Jaded

I recently looked up the word “development” in my thesaurus. I have become quite obsessed with words as of late, as I am studying intensively for the GRE. Among the listed words were many concinnate and rather apt comparisons (evolving, upgrowth, advance, progression, flowering, etc.). One word, however, caught me off-guard. “Ongoing” sat at the bottom of the list of synonyms, staring at me, as if it wants to say, “yes Joel, development is continuous.” Obviously, one can use the word “development” in a plethora of contexts, but I found the word “ongoing” strangely haunting and sadly appropriate when I think of the state of development here in Burkina Faso. On the surface, one would find nothing portentous about the connection between the two words; after all, they do seem to compliment one another. But as true as the connection is in almost any circumstance, in my current environment, I find the connection to be, well, saddening.

Let me tell you a story.
Last week, I was having lunch with my new neighbor Blaise, a CP1 (Kindergarten) teacher at the newly installed primary school (translated: a patch of sand under the shade of a baobab tree with a small desk for the teacher. The government has yet to provide an actual building for the students) south of Pobe-Mengao. We were listening to a radio station based out of Ouagadougou, where a forum was taking place on the subject of “the fight against poverty.” Much as Americans are saturated with catch phrases such as “The War on Terrorism," “The War on Drugs,” “The War on Illegally Downloaded Music,” and even "The War on obesity," the Burkinabe have “the fight against [insert fundamental problem here]” Blaise quickly interrupted the radio to say, “You know, that phrase just bothers me. 'The fight against poverty?’ Politicians, NGOs, and non-profits always talk about the fight against poverty, and look at this village. What has changed? We are still impoverished. They’re just words.”

He’s right. Things are improving every year, but at an unacceptably laggard pace. I felt compelled to jump in and provide my complimentary sentiments, but I restrained and asked him to elaborate on why he felt things were not improving. “Its quite simple, Joel. Too many people are invested in the poverty of Africa. If there is nothing to fight against, if there is no malaria, if there is no guinea worm, if there is no VIH/SIDA, if there is no poverty, there will be no more business for the men and women in their clean white SUVs. Poverty is a business.”
I had to hold back my desire to laud that which he had said. I agree with him to a desperate degree. Development has become a business. Development workers need something to develop if they are to stay in business. Development is “ongoing.” Clearly, this is not an auspicious realization. After all, do we not want to “make poverty history”?

Ultimately, these are massive themes, much too big for a lowly Peace Corps Volunteer to tackle. But I guess what I want to convey is this: For every day that passes here, my view of the world is constantly changing. My ideas towards development and poverty, what these terms mean and how they should be approached, is in constant flux. I do not deny that I have learned so much here in Burkina Faso. The fact that I am so confused about the world, its problems and how one should go about solving them is a testament to the amount in which I have learned. Before I came here, the ills of the world were a simple, albeit large problem, requiring a simple solution. I thought that perhaps the only obstacle was the question of means. I was confident that the solution was realized, but simply not yet attainable. I know better now. I know I have no idea.

I guess it sounds like I am a little jaded. I think I am. But I wear that label with an odd sense of pride. I am jaded, but hopeful. I am jaded, but I have not lost touch with my passion in life: Understanding people. It is easy to get lost in the nebulous complexities of development theory. When I feel I am becoming too detached, I think about the friendships created here, I think about the connections made, and yes, some of the work I have done. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have the utmost faith in the grassroots level of development. It is indisputably the most human level, but all the same the most volatile. To find out what I mean, keep your eyes peeled for my next post, which will probably be written in the next 12 hours. After all, I am sure you all would rather hear about what I am doing as opposed to what I am thinking.

In any event, enjoy the day. And of course, be well.

j