Dear Anti-Racist Parent:
I was wondering how you feel about programs like World Vision where you can sponsor children in other countries to help with their basic needs. Obviously providing resources to children in need is a good thing, but a part of it feels paternalistic to me. (ie. Here are the white people again rescuing the poor colored children.) It is important to my husband and I that we are participating locally and globally in important causes both financially and by volunteering our time. We have an almost four-year-old (biological) child and are waiting to adopt domestically. Our adopted children will most likely be African American. We want helping others to be an obvious part of all our children’s lives but I want to do it without reinforcing negative divisions. What are your thoughts?
Amanda R.
From the Editor:
Whether giving to World Vision-type organizations squares with your anti-racist ideals depends on 1) your motivations and 2) the organization you choose. Only you can search your heart and determine whether your desire to give is motivated by feelings of privilege and superiority, altruism, or a bit of both. And if you find some bits of “white (wo)man’s burden” in your motivation (no one is perfect), I’d say that’s not a reason to stop giving to those in need, but to do more work on your internal biases.
Of course, before you give to any organization, you should do your research. You want to know that the funds you send actually make it to the neediest people and aren’t absorbed by red tape and buracracy. But you also want to ensure that you give to organizations whose ideals match your own. For instance, I would have a hard time giving to an organization that proselytizes and continues the colonialist practices that have caused so much suffering for people of color around the world. I think that accepting a Western, Christian notion of God shouldn’t be a condition for getting the help one needs to survive. You and your husband need to clarify what you believe and find a reputable organization that fits with those beliefs.
Lastly, thank you. I mean it. It is always a good thing to want to give. Even better to want to give thoughtfully. And even better to want to pass that ethic on to future generations. It makes the world better for everyone.
Readers?
Tami
I send money to support a community in Egypt and have done so for a long time. While this money is attached to a child’s name and we get updates on this child and can write to them, the money goes to improve conditions in the community and provide money to keep this boy in school (once he’s old enough). There’s no religion involved and no attempt to make the family lead a Western lifestyle (beside the health and education pieces). It allows the boy to stay with his family and have a better chance to lead a more healthy and educated life.
As someone who has worked in Africa for five years for a humanitarian organization, I’d like to suggest thinking about how children and those being helped via sponsoring are portrayed. Are they seen as victims only, as passive reciepients of our gracious benevolence? Or are they seen as people with positive abilities and personal resources that happen to need a helping hand? Choosing an organization with the later perspective, and cultivating that same attitude in yourself will take the edge of your (valid) worry about paternalism.
I think it’s hard to say “I won’t support XYZ organization because of their paternalistic nature”. I do recognize that one of the most impactful ways of changing an organization is to withdraw its funding, but assuming that this organization is the only one helping that individual or community, that means they no longer get any help. I do get it, really. I just wonder, are there alternative ways to influence an organization without yanking the resources from the people it’s trying to help?
As to an org that (as Winston said) shows “people with positive abilities and personal resources that happen to need a helping hand”, I think KIVA fits the bill.
http://www.kiva.org
I want to respond directly about World Vision and our experience with them and I totally agree about the previous comments about looking into an organization before becoming involved. We had the honor of visiting the child we sponsor through World Vision in Ethiopia this past summer. We stayed with the project development team and were able to see the work that they are doing. It was amazing. I think what makes World Vision different than charities that only hand out food is that World Vision works to establish a sustainable community lead by leaders in that community. Though we sponsor one little boy, our donations are used for community projects like a safe water supply for the village which is run by the villagers and a business that grows and grafts trees for sale as income for the community. It is not a hand out. While our sponsor child benifits from schooling and his grandfather has been able to start his own business, the initiatives are community based. We have come to know our sponsor child and his grandfather and were welcomed into their home (which he built and was beautiful), we prayed together and talked while our son chased their chicken around the yard. I consider them friends and hope they feel the same. It certainly has never felt like we are trying to “save” anyone nor has that ever been our intent. It is important to us to invest in community based initiative that can create sustainable communities and support Fair Trade initiatives all over the world.
You are absolutely right about doing your research before you attach yourself to an organization. You do not want your money going to an organization who only wants to help a child if they can convert them to their religious views and accept their way of life. I see a lot of that and it is very disturbing. They go to “save” the heathens. On the other hand there are a myriad of religious organizations that give with no strings attached, so do your research.
I live in Southern Europe and just st about two years ago, I was dating a guy from a small African country. One day we went to see his cousin, and somewhere along the conversation, my nationality came up. Instead of the normal associations (ooooh, it must be very cold/blondes SO turn me on), she looked to a cousin and said: When we were kids, we used to get support from that country, remember? and went on to tell me about the university student who would send her money and small presents, and my date told me that he had also benefitted from the money, even though he didn’t have a sponsor himself. Coming from a village without electricity, the my date had gotten a scholarship to study abroad, and last time I spoke to him, he had returned to his home country and is now working at a development association.
I left them that day with a feeling of that it is actually possible to change someone’s life with so little and that if you can, you should – whether in your local community or on a different continent, and it is not patronizing or racist unless you make it so.
There are some organizations out there whose aim seems to be helping Christians only, or only people who are willing to come to their church. Those would not be the ones I would choose.
There are some, like Kiva and Finca, that offer micro-loans to families, particularly women-headed families, so that they can start or maintain a business that will support their family. Others provide charitable funds and do not appear to be “western, colonialist, I know what’s best for you” kinds of groups.
In all cases, as other posters suggest, do your research; be sure most of the funds go for the work, not for administration of the organization. And look around your own hometown for possibilities. Give creatively.
Few quick points: 1. As a woman of color, I do donate to an organization that sends money and support for community wide sustainability overseas. It’s not just a “white woman’s burden” – in fact, the only people who happen to be in my circle who also support this organization are all POCs. 2. Excellent point about figuring out why you’re doing it — my family received a great deal of support when we were going through a very difficult time in our lives, and this was our way of ‘paying it forward’ in a long term way.
Definitely, definitely, definitely do your research! I’m very comfortable with the organization we contribute to each month. ( I’m simply not mentioning it here only because I think it’s important for others do figure out which organization fits their morals/ideals/needs/interests – though, I’d love to give them lots of press!)
Excellent question about the burden piece, though. It’s great to see that people are seeing that as a part of the equation to work through!
Since others have mentioned specific organizations by name, I’ll add my favorite:
Love without Boundaries. While the focus of their work has been with orphanages in China, they also have a fabulous program called Mama’s Wish, which helps students from poor families continue their education, and the Unity fund, which helps families obtain surgery for their children.
There are an abundance of good programs out there, domestic and international. Find one that “fits” for you!
Committing to be an anti-racist parent means that we are committing to change the systems that perpetuate the oppression of people of color. Acts of charity, although necessary to relieve immediate pain, do not change the systems that continue to reinforce the legacy of racism and colonialism. I appreciate the writer’s question about paternalism. I think that, in addition to questioning how our funds are being used, we need to ask who is in charge and designing the services being provided. Too often, indigenous leadership is not involved in defining the responses.
I am a parent of two African-American girls who are trans-racially adopted. There are so many images that attribute dignity to the people of Africa that do not show up in the horror stories that are discussed in our society. In addition to giving money to World Vision, consider giving money to and acting with Jubilee USA or TransAfrica Forum – two organizations working to change US policy in Africa including relieving their debt that is perpetuating poverty. To be an anti-racist parent, we must develop and model new skills in every aspect of our life. Connecting charity and justice (advocacy and systemic change) must be a competency that we embrace.
Let’s just be honest. What we have here are people that just hate Christianity and Christians and are trying to find ways to be nice about bashing them. I have NEVER heard of a Christian person or organization that would only help you if you would convert. That’s just obsurd and of course the only mention of it here is vague with no specific details because there are NONE. Yes, Christian organizations may share the Gospel with people they help, but there are no conditions. Most of the time, it is not even about sharing the Gospel, it is about doing what God says we should do which is help people.
On the original topic post, it was mentioned “Obviously providing resources to children in need is a good thing, but a part of it feels paternalistic to me. (ie. Here are the white people again rescuing the poor colored children.)” ARE YOU SERIOUS? I just finished an expensive and 2 year journey to adopt a little boy from Haiti. My wife and I adopted from Haiti because we believe it is the poorest country with the most orphans and the most need. NEVER did we think of it as wanting to “rescue” or help the “poor black child”.
Not that I am calling anyone here a racist, because I am not but I do find it interesting who sees the color in people and those that race never phases them. I don’t know ANY Christians that refer to or discuss peoples race.
Imagine the following scenario: what if Whites would just stop helping and donating their money? Would you prefer that?
Since they are giving out of their own money, I`m pretty sure they can spend it however they want; even if that means helping Christians (aren`t they also people? don`t they also need help?)
ps: totally cosign with Jim.
@Jim -
Would you like me to start by providing a list of adoption agencies that will only place children with Christian adoptive parents?
Personally, I am not fond of the idea of sending money overseas to starving children when there are children in the Appalachian mountains and other parts of the US who are starving as well.
I remember speaking to a patient who felt the need to tell me all about his wonderful travels and building homes in Africa. (I am a POC) I asked him why he never considered helping someone in this country and his reply was that we are a lot better off. I ended up telling him about a two little girls who lived with a working but proud grandmother on long island. They had one light in the house, no heat, and kerosene heaters. The girls never had shoes without holes and they were teased everyday. This was in the nineties. Thank God those girls grew up and became very successful. However, as one of those little girls, I make sure that I give back to other Americans.
What Jim said.