by Scott Wisely
Scott Wisely was born in
Thailand to missionary parents, attended boarding school in Malaysia and spent
four years in the Philippines. After earning a Masters degree in Third World
Economic Development from Eastern University he has served in Papua (formerly
known as Irian Jaya) since 1996. Scott describes his service as “focused on
wholistic ministry with a big emphasis on discipleship.” In particular, he helps
operate an elementary school, a strategy which “impacts the whole family and
community.”
Papuans were totally self-sufficient for thousands of years so
it is a difficult task to convince them that they are hopeless and helpless.
But in the last decade well-intentioned outsiders have made significant
headway. The Papuans, who viewed themselves as “the people”–strong, free, brave
and capable–are becoming dependent on government, mission, and aid
organizations.
Beliefs are what shape us. If you convince someone he is poor,
he will act poor.
I teach a college class of aspiring teachers about poverty and
education. I asked them, “Who convinced you that you should get everything
free?” They blamed the outsiders. I asked, “Who made schooling and medical
services free here?” When they named the head politician I asked where he was
from. They got quiet because he is a local. I called to their attention the
many campaign posters promising giveaways. I said, “If I came to you and said ‘Oh,
you poor Papuan student, I feel so bad for you. You were malnourished as a
child and came from a single parent family. This is really hard what you are
doing: working and going to school. You can’t do this. I will pay your school
fees and I will give you clothes and food and a place to live and spending
money. I’ll do your homework for you and take your tests.’ What do I
believe about you? That you don’t have what it takes. You are weak and I am
strong. You are poor and I am rich. You are stupid and I am smart. Is that what
you are?
“What do I believe if I have to come in and put in a clean water
system for you and build all your houses and teach you farmers to raise
vegetables and take your kids to raise and educate myself? It says that I don’t
believe you have what it takes. You don’t know how gravity works and you can’t
glue PVC pipe or swing a hammer or farm or raise your own kids. You are
helpless and hopeless.”
Anger rose on their faces because everyone hates being pitied
and disrespected.
Then we talked about how God views us. He looks at each girl in
the room and says,
You are my precious, beautiful, smart and very
capable – daughter. I made you to love and live and praise me with your sweet
voice. I made you to nurture and care. I delight in you.
He looks at each boy and says,
With me you have what it takes. I made you
strong and brave and ready to lay down your life to protect those I love. I
made you a builder, a leader, an influencer. You are THE man.
I challenged them to stop believing the lies of politicians and
well intentioned AID workers and missionaries. Believe in God and what He
says about you. You might not have much money or stuff but don’t take on the
label ‘POOR’.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Grown men and women crying.
We all want to be respected, not pitied.
Many well intentioned outsiders are unwittingly bent on
convincing Papuans that they are poor. (See Steve Saint’s article, “Projecting Poverty Where
it Doesn’t Exist”.) Compassion is a love for the hopeless and helpless. It is
the brother of Pity and cousin of Tolerance. That whole family of loves is
supposed to serve in the hospice or mental health ward, not venture out into
the streets and accost healthy people.
Why don’t we see these peoples’ strengths? Why do we only focus
on what they can’t do and what they don’t have? Is it because we have so little
respect for them? For me, I believe the main reason is pride. I think I am
stronger, smarter, healthier, and richer so I condescend in compassion or
tolerance or pity. But are we really that wealthy? Are they really that poor? I
asked my Ugandan roommate in Turkey why Development Associates
International has such a great cross cultural team. “We respect each other.
Each of us brings our strengths to the table.” Then he listed the strengths,
and his list was as long as the list the Westerners bring. Wow! We need a lot
more of this kind of respect-filled love.
Other villages have asked us to start a branch of our school for
their kids. We always begin the discussion by saying they have to provide land,
building and houses, and pay teacher’s salaries. We will partner with them and
come up with the rest but this is THEIR school so THEY have to PAY for it. They
love being treated with respect but PAYING the price of being respected is a
hard choice.
Recently we met with the church and village leaders in Eragaiam
in the Walak tribe. (Watch our YouTube video, “4×4 school in Eragaiam”) I shared that I didn’t
view them as poor but as strong, wealthy, brave and very capable people created
in the image of God. Some tough Walaks started tearing up. They are starving
for that kind of affirmation. They said, “We have to give the wood and
materials and help to build this school. We have to build a road in. We are
ready to pay the teachers’ salaries.” In the 60s the missionaries treated them
with respect and thousands of churches, schools, and health clinics were built
this way. In those days missionaries lived in the villages with them and saw
their strengths and abilities every day. One wrote a great book called The Amazing Danis!: the title says it all.
But times have changed. Now missions means a foray. Outsiders jet in for a
short trip. They can only see what the people don’t have. Such a practice
engenders little respect.
This village had asked us to help them start an elementary
school, even though already had one. A beautiful school building stood 50
meters away from where were meeting. At 10 o’clock on a Tuesday morning it was
totally empty. It was built and is supported with foreign aid money. The
children attend is free. But they graduate with a shattered identity and
crushed self-worth. Most cannot read, write, or do basic math. The villagers
realize this and are ready to pay $60 a semester– in a place that Reuters
reports as one of the poorest spots in one of the poorest countries in the
world–for their kid to go to school.
In the book The Beautiful Tree by James Tooley, an
African father was asked why he sent his child to the private school with its
run down facilities when he could send his child to the government school that
had great buildings and was free. He answered, “When you go to the market and
someone is giving fruit away for free it is because it is rotten. If you want
good quality fruit you pay for it.”
The villagers named our school Ob Anggen, “Good Fruit.”
