The following is an email I sent to my parents upon returning from spring break in Nepal. In eight days, I saw more than can be described in sufficient detail so this is the next best replacement.
First off, thank you so much for letting me go to Nepal. I did my best to keep in contact while I was there to let you know of my whereabouts/safety.
I should also say that Nepal was one of the most valuable travel experiences I've ever had. I expected it to be a good trip, maybe a little relaxing but definitely a nice change from Dubai. What I did not expect, however, was how much it would affect me. People I have talked to say visiting a third-world country for the first time is always memorable. They are correct. Until last week, the "developing world" was, for me, something IR majors talk about in the abstract. All the well-to-do first-worlders sit around and pontificate about what is best for the world's poor and occasionally someone like PJ O'Rourke will point out how silly and unmerited such unwelcome advice is but on the whole, everyone nods in enthusiastic agreement that, yes, we should definitely, definitely send some knowledgeable kids with bachelor degrees over there to teach those ignorant Nepalis about proper family planning and good farming techniques.
While there, we met some of those knowledgeable kids with bachelor degrees. They were vacationing in Nepal, on break from their Peace Corps stint in Kenya. They seemed to have reached the same conclusion as me: that the difference between first-world and third-world cannot be bridged with good intentions. Only time (and lots of it) will help an undeveloped country reach its full potential and this can come a variety of ways: ugly war, tedious politics, or simple laissez-faire policies that simply allow a country to mind its own damn business and grow at its own pace.
At USD, there is a the ever-popular $2-a-day-challenge. This consists of people not showering for a day, camping out in the grass using whatever blankets they already have for shelter, and eating only a maximum of $2 worth of food. No other spending is allowed. Afterwards everyone gets together to reflect on what they learned. Maybe there will be a slideshow with depressing pictures of starving Africans and everyone will suddenly be 'enlightened' to the world's poverty. "Wow," they sigh, "I never knew two-thirds of the world's population lived like this". They all feel more aware of other people's realities but more than that, they feel lucky to live in America. If they're like me, they'll say an extra prayer and maybe toss an extra buck or two in the donation basket at church but they're not about to call up OXFAM and give their credit card number.
After going to Nepal and being a tourist for 8 days, I actually feel better about the state of the world. On our 4-day trek, we walked through dozens of villages and past hundreds of farmhouses. Every person from the smallest baby to the oldest, most gnarled woman was living on less than $2 per day. And guess what? They didn't stare at us longingly as we passed, waiting for us to throw them scraps to ease their gnawing hunger. There were no flies buzzing around their crusted eyes and I saw not one exposed rib. Inconceivable, right? First-worlders visit Nepal and they aren't set upon by starving beggars? Quite the contrary. The majority of the people we saw looked like they were doing fine. Sure, their houses are in danger of being swallowed by a landslide but have you ever heard of a little place called Aldercrest? Away from the countryside, in Kathmandu, I saw a fair share of beggars but no more than you'd find at one time under the Burnside Bridge. Maybe Portland doesn't have street-children hawking knick-knacks for a living but if they did, I'd bet they didn't speak 3 languages like the ones we saw. When one boy effortlessly switched from English to Spanish to Nepali like the one we met did, I got a much better feeling about Nepal's future.
Yes, things in Nepal could be better. Yes, there is corruption. Yes, we the fortunate have a responsibility to share our wealth to help the less fortunate. However, there are limits. Extreme poverty exists but you won't find it in the typical manner wherever you go. Having been to Nepal, I better understand that the world is not some teeming mass of deprived and depraved plebes all fighting tooth and nail for scraps. Poverty doesn't mean you're on the brink of death by starvation. Go back to the summer's in the backyard on Laurel Road but spend more time in the garden and build a few more planter-boxes. Grow your own vegetables and take a cold bath in the stream. Maybe life on $2-a-day (or less) isn't so bad.
dirt.
ReplyDeleteYour observations are clearly accurate, but don't over romanticize their subsistence life style. It is very precarious. All it takes is heavy rains, a drought, or serious illness and you will see plenty of ribs.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, as you suggest, trying to help is a very delicate matter. Developing countries need to have the freedom to work out their own solutions, but at the same time they need protection from the Charles Taylors and Robert Mugabes that seem to spring up all too readily. They also need guidance, advice, and outside investment. Clearly, one problem is that few from the developed world take the time to learn about the countries they are trying to help and to appreciate the cultures and people living in these countries. Most of the developed world seems to think, “We’re bringing civilization to savages.” This is obviously the attitude that brought the world colonialism.
Some summer you should come teach with me in China or Cambodia. As I see it, education is the first step in helping countries work out their own solutions, so I try to donate a month of my time every summer. By the way, I’m enjoying your pictures. Would love to go trekking in Nepal. Some time when I’m in China I need to go to Tibet too.
David Dockstader