I am a pushover

written Friday, 22 June 2007

 

 

...because I just can't say no.  So much for all my hard thinnking about whether helping out financially is a good idea.   One of my good friends in the village asked me yesterday if I would like him 50,000 CFA (about $100 - a  lot of money here, and lot of money for me on my Peace Corps allowance) so that he could afford to cultivate more land this year.   Apparently the field is all ready to be planted, but he doesn't have the money for the seeds, fertilizer, etc.

 

I gave him the money.  I let him know that it's a lot of money for me too - and actually I haven't given it all to him yet - I will have to go to the bank in Tamba, as I don't keep that kind of money lying around in the village.   I don't really expect him to pay it back.  I am hoping that this money will at the very least allow his family to eat a little better for the coming year, and at best he will be able to sell enough of what he grows to be able to cultivate more land next year without a loan, and gradually be able to improve his whole economic situation.

 

I know that's being very optimistic, and there's a good chance that the money won't have any long-term effect at all.   And also that the loan could cause me problems, if other people find out about it and want loans too, which I just can't afford.

 

All the other volunteers I've talked to about this say they basically never give people money or buy them things, other than their contribution to their host families' groceres, because it will cause problems.   Maybe my approach has been tried in the past, and it was a disaster, and that's why no one does it anymore.  But just maybe everyone has assumed it will be a disaster and not even tried it; and maybe it will turn out well.

 

Either way, I think Peace Corps is the time for me to try things out and make mistakes and learn.  I want to try to learn more about microfinance.