If You Really Want to HelpSýnishorn

Investing in Capacity

There’s a quote from Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu that gets thrown around a lot. You’ve probably heard it a number of times. It says, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” It’s a simple (and yes, overused) but profound idea and one we at 410 Bridge like to call “building capacity.”

The funny thing about that quote is that it is often misattributed to the Bible. While it can’t be found in Scripture, I believe the concept is woven throughout. We see people like David, who, though anointed as king at a young age, didn’t actually take the throne until he’d spent years learning how to be a leader. We see the prophet Elijah training his successor Elisha to hear the voice of God and act on it, no matter what. And we see Jesus taking fishermen and doctors and tax collectors and turning them into Apostles.

What I love about the disciples is that Jesus constantly calls on them to act in faith. He’s not doing it for them — he is helping them grow. He sends them out and gives them the strength and courage to spread the good news. Even when they fail, he assures them of their next steps.

In John 21, Peter is reeling from his perceived failure during Jesus’ arrest. Jesus, newly raised from the dead, asks Peter if he loves Him. When Peter says yes, Jesus tells Peter to “feed His sheep.” He does this three times, the same amount of times that Peter denied Jesus a few days earlier. In doing this, He reminds Peter that his failures do not disqualify him. He empowered Peter to go on and have an incredible ministry — one that would become the basis of the church we know today.

So how does this apply to helping the poor? We talked yesterday about shifting worldviews and mindsets. Those in poverty often feel stuck, incapable of changing their circumstances. They feel that they have no choice in life, they don’t measure up, they are inferior, and a simple handout is not going to change that. By providing education, training, and infrastructure in a way that builds their capacity and empowers, you restore to them the power to change their own lives. And that is the key to lasting, indigenously sustainable change.

I’ll give an example — there have been many clean water wells dug by well-meaning organizations all over the world. And those wells provide a temporary reprieve from the devastating lack of clean water. But the wells eventually break down or malfunction. Now, the community must wait for another team to come and fix the well or dig another. This reinforces external solutions and dependency.

But what if the community leaders were responsible for identifying the solution, not simply accepting it? What if they determined, before the project began, how much of the solution their community could do on its own, as opposed to watching the outsiders do it for them? What if they were trained and empowered to see the solution as their own, not an outsider’s, and therefore maintained it on their own?

At 410 Bridge, we aren’t interested in handouts. We’re interested in helping people develop the skills to change their own lives. We want to give lasting tools, not temporary solutions. We want to restore a person’s ability to choose and transform their own life.

“If you really want to help, start teaching them to fish, providing skills to resolve their problems without you.”

“If you really want to help, stop once they can sustain themselves.”

— James Gitau, Community Coordinator