One to One

Today was a genuinely unique experience, and it has challenged the way I think about community service. 

The Roggebai Rotary Club that sponsors me joined together with a number of community service clubs and civic groups to sponsor an event for local residents struggling with various mental and physical handicaps.  The event is called “One to One,” because each person with a handicap is accompanied by a sponsor.  Basically, they take over Cape Town’s second largest convention center and set up a giant fair—with each organization creating their own booth or sideshow. 

 

The Roggebai Club had a booth featuring a rather simple game—but it included enough shining lights and loud noises to be fun.  The gist was that a metal ring had to be guided along a curved wire without touching.   Touching the ring to the wire would complete a circuit, resulting in lights and loud buzzing.  Some people had the necessary motor skills, while others just enjoyed making noise!  Everybody got a prize when they were done, and then it was off to the next booth.

 

This event was striking for two reasons:

 

§  First, so many charities are simply focused on dispensing money that they forget about the lived experience of the people they are trying to help.  It’s obviously important to think about food and shelter, but there can be an impersonal condescension in these efforts.  Being human is about more than having a full belly.  “One to One” may not have addressed institutionalized poverty or the greater trends of social justice, but a bunch of marginalized people were able to feel special. 

 

 §  Second, we tend to equate efficiency with moral value in our community service.  The best charities are the ones with the most fluid turnover in dollars and the slickest websites.  Love does not necessarily have anything to do with efficiency.  I was impressed that “One to One” was such an extravagant event that had nothing to do with institutional poverty whatsoever.  This is obviously not a long-term strategy for community development, but if charities cannot keep this more personal perspective in mind, their efforts will be hollow and condescending.