Poverty Ramblings

After spending a year in Honduras, I'm even more aware of the excess that I was already sensitive before I went. The excess in the choice of product and brand in the grocery store, the size of the store. The excess of size to everything from cars, houses, and portions. Fun things like the hobby of reenacting is a sign of the extreme excess. People can pour their extra money into their hobbies. People can have hobbies.

I'm not trying to say I'm different. Luxury is nice and I drive everywhere. I want to use the AC on a hot humid day. I enjoy hot showers and cold drinks. I like having my own room with a big bed and extra pillows. What I'm saying is it is hard for us to know what real poverty is when the microwave breaking is the problem of the week.

In the United States, poverty is defined as something very different than what I've seen. I'm not saying that there aren't people who struggle, but it's a different world. Here, a family can qualify for food stamps when they have money for two cars, television sets, and a number of gaming systems. 1st) they can afford a lot of unnecessary stuff and 2nd) there's such a thing as food stamps for the poor.

Earlier this summer, I went to a large two story house with a basement. They had 9 cats, which appeared to be everywhere. The basement had a “man cave” decked out in Redskins paraphernalia and comfortable chairs around a massive TV. There was an ultimate gym, which hadn't been used since the day it was set up, an x box that was purchased and never hooked up, a Wii that had been used once, a few other game systems I didn't recognize. In another room there was a full sized kiln for which the house lacks the proper wiring to support, a pottery wheel that no one in the house knows how to use, and a work area that has never been touched for wood work and art projects. This couple has lived in the house about 4 years. They are in debt.

I have to keep putting things in perspective, because there's nothing wrong with indulging sometimes. Or enjoying your success by living a comfortable life. It's good that extreme poverty is rare in the States. Things like volunteerism is more common in the States anyway. People are trying to help other people.

There are rich in my community in Copan, too. They indulge, spoil their kids, and lead comfortable lives not so unlike those I'm now struggling with in the States. They are also less likely to go out of their way to help the poor in their community. It's not that it never happens, but it is less likely. I haven't been able to pinpoint this cultural difference. It seems possible to me that they then open themselves up to exploitation. Maybe it's just a mark of pride that they got to their status and they don't feel a need to make the road to wealth any easier for others. I'm really not sure.

What I do know is that little helps will only help little situations and big helps can actually hurt people in the long run. The only way for real change is for a dynamic shift with intention to completely revamp the internal governing structures. Until the basics are available, or more available, then nothing else can get better. Water, food, health care, housing, and education must be improved and available. Without water, food, and housing, children need to be at home or working to help do their part for the family, and without education it is much harder to learn how to improve their circumstances. The education system is already in need of a great deal of help, but it is better than nothing.