Helping the Poor?

Ever since I was a young girl, I dreamt about living in Africa. Growing up in a small rural town in Germany as the only girl of the family, this was a strange idea that crossed some boundaries.

But I was determined and kept my dream alive by reading snippets of information about the people and place over the years.

Eventually I ended up in Mauritania, a country on the western boarder of the Sahara Desert. The terrible drought of the 70’s had robbed many of the nomadic people of their precious livestock.

Hearing about the devastation, I decided that I would “help the poor” in Mauritania. I admit that this kind of thinking sounds offensive today. Though I had good intentions back then, I’m ashamed of my ignorance and the arrogance that came with that posture.

However, I did one thing right after arriving in Mauritania, which helped to quickly expose and correct my thinking: I moved in with one of the local families. I had a simple room to myself that was equipped with a mat, a floor mattresses, a water barrel, and a crate with some clothes.

I didn’t speak the local language, didn’t have cooking equipment, and didn’t know my way around the market. Very quickly, it was obvious that I was the one needing help.

The kindness and skillfulness of the Mauritanians in “making do” in that environment left a lasting impression on me.

Where I initially saw limitation in their lack of amenities, I eventually discovered ingenious utility. I learned how to wash a pile of dishes with just two litres of water and use the most basic food items to keep family and guests afloat.

Common experiences brought to light my culture and its attached biases. For example, as we ate together from a shared plate, using our hands, I at first only saw the hygiene risks. But then I discovered their eating etiquette mitigated hygiene risks since each person only touches the part right in front of themselves.

There were other experiences that were more difficult for me to contend with, such as the notion for some that marriages were a temporary arrangement. Sometimes I would see adults demean children to make them stronger.

The confrontation of cultures when people of different backgrounds come together often exposes deeply held mindsets and values. The longer I stayed with the Mauritanians, the deeper I penetrated beyond the surface to find beauty, richness, and resilience.

Instead of seeing others or myself as poor and needing help, I came to realize that our different life journeys had shaped and equipped us in unique ways.

It was never going to be me that saved anyone.