Service VS. Helping
When you think of the word helping what comes to mind? To me helping is something where a person is looking for something in return for there efforts. In some cases, helping can turn into subjecting locals to being posted about on social media. I have been guilty of taking pictures and interacting with the women I work with as solely as a goal to make myself feel better that I am actually “helping” these women. Therefore, the point of this blog post is to share my experience with living in Rwanda and the observations I have made from tourists, students, volunteers, locals and even myself.
While working with Red Rocks Rwanda, I have come to realize how much the international community, takes selfies with children, women, and men posting it on social media and as a result getting hundreds of likes with comments like “great work” “help the people” and so on. However, why do we do this? What contribution are we making by taking pictures of someone without their permission or approval? In the United States if an individual took a picture of someone without asking they could get in trouble. So why is it considered socially acceptable to do this in countries such as Rwanda? I have come to answer this question that we as a society we think that taking pictures will help the community get more attention but are we causing more harm then good?
The answer is simple Rwanda has stereotypes of three subjects, genocide, gorillas and poverty. Therefore, when tourist come here, they don’t know any better because everything they have been taught has most likely originated from these subjects. These topics are without a doubt relevant to Rwanda however, there is so much more to the country that is not being discussed. In fact, if you google “things to do in Kigali, Rwanda” TripAdvisor most of the highest rated "things to do" are genocide memorials and not community development activities. It's important to do both learn the history of the country and the people itself. Therefore, even the tourism business is contributing to these stereotypes. At Red Rocks Rwanda, we are trying to break this by developing programs such as community development where you can support local communities through traditional cultural activities, such as basket weaving and banana beer making.
It has been determined where the root of the cause of picture taking, and social media posting comes from. However, how do we address this issue? First off by giving the definition of helping and serving. Before I came to Rwanda I read an article called Helping, Fixing or Serving By Rachel Namoi Remen as she explains the following, “Fixing and helping are draining, and over time we may burn out, but service is renewing. When we serve, out work itself will renew us. In helping we many find a sense of satisfaction, in serving we find a sense of gratitude” (p.1). This allows one to understand that helping someone usually means a person is looking for something in return rather serving has a purpose.
It has been discussed why tourism, volunteers, and students take pictures and thus invades the local’s private life. As well as the definition of helping and serving and how helping is causing people to subject locals to unwanted attention. However, the international community can fix this by implementing community development and cultural emersion. Allowing programs like these will help the stereotypes that come with the continent of Africa to shrink. As my experience in the villages with the locals has allowed me to understand that pushing community development will allow tourist to see what Rwanda is actually made of. To give an example, of why community development will change the way the international community views Africa is a workshop
That my coworkers and I put on for social enterprises in three countries Uganda MCDO, D.R.C. CPNCK, and Rwanda Red Rocks. Here we spoke about the importance of creating one extensive network of community development through the Virunga national parks. The goal is simple to create one large network where community development can happen between all three countries as well as cultural immersion. One of the ladies at Red Rocks explained that her cooperative wanted to go to Uganda and the D.R.C. to learn new skills. This allows, the countries to develop economically and at the same time contribute to breaking the stereotypes as well as allowing these ladies to progress.
These types of programs will slowly break the stereotypes of taking pictures of kids, women, and men and instead create leaders who will serve others for nothing in return. This is because it will allow people to understand what life is like for the locals. It’s impossible to know someone’s life by spending five minutes with them where a person is just taking pictures of them. I was guilty myself of this as I am a marketing intern here at Red Rocks where my goal is to bring in more clients to the hostel. However, after conducting interviews with these women and participating in a homestay, I understood how important community development is. With this type of program you affect a multitude of lives as the workshop, we conducted invited the local community to participate on how to “serve” the community.
Community development has an impact on a vast number of people from all over the world, and you know what the best part is? If done correctly such like at Red Rocks Rwanda, it's SUSTAINABLE. Before coming to Rwanda, I thought that to “help” people you need to have the U.N. back you with millions of dollars but, as my boss explains funds always runs out and when it does what do the locals do? They will have nothing left and must rebuild everything on their own. Therefore, allowing the community to learn the skills themselves and have social enterprises such as Red Rocks will give them a market to sell their goods. Watch this video to find out more about the Acts of Hope program at Red Rocks Rwanda.
I still can't believe it's been almost two months since I came to Red Rocks Rwanda! In fact, I have enjoyed my internship that I have developed a passion for community development and will continue working on this with a tour company in Florida. The subject of community development as cheesy as it sounds is the next big thing within the subject of social enterprises. It will break down stereotypes and create a sustainable economy for people from all over the world can participate in! As my boss always says to create the change you need to think BIG!
11 days………….. till I return to the States and I am ready to share with everyone about how great Red Rocks Rwanda is. Also, a huge shout out to Lynn University who has allowed all of this to be possible! Don’t worry I still have 11 more days for some adventures, so stay tuned!
To learn more about the article Helping, Fixing or Serving Read Here.
-April