Give a Man a Fish

We have all heard the old proverb, "Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime." (It should be noted this proverb is NOT from the Bible.) Recently, however, I have heard two objections to this proverb, both of which make exceedingly good points. I figured I would outline them here for you.

The original intention of this proverb as I understand it is to encourage helpers not to produce dependency. If we are merely giving handouts to people and doing things for them, they will never gain the skills or knowledge or ability to do those things for themselves or to move away from being completely dependent upon another person or system. We must look at sustainability as well. If we create a system full of handouts, rather than a hand-up, we are perpetuating problems rather than contributing to something which will help improve the situation in the long-run.

These are valid points. They ring true for service and relief organizations in particular. Merely throwing rolls of paper towels at people is not a sufficient solution for a crisis. We need to be able to empower and equip the community to produce community-wide, sustainable change. 

The two arguments to this provery which I heard recently, are equally valid. 

The first was this: while it is true that if you teach a man to fish, he will fish for a lifetime, that does not mean that you can’t give him a fish to begin with. It is harder to teach something to someone, or, rather, it is harder for someone to learn something, when they are hungry. If we meet people's immediate needs, this will help them to lower their stress, be more regulated, and be able to learn and grow.

Maslov's hierarchy of needs clearly states that people must have their basic needs met in order to focus on other needs they might have. Basic needs include sufficient food, clean water, safe housing, access to healthcare, opportunities for education, and community well-being. 

Programs aiming at helping those in need should not separate the immediate need from the ongoing need. People require both.

The other argument I heard in regards to this proverb, was this: per the adage, we are presuming we must teach a man to fish. This assumes several things. It assumes he doesn't already know how to fish. It assumes we know better than he does. It assumes our solution is better than anything he could come up with.

After all, maybe he already knows how to fish, but doesn’t have the resources to purchase a fishing rod.  Or, maybe he already knows how to fish, but does not have permission or access to fish in the lake. There may be other barriers, preventing him from fishing.

If we go into every situation assuming the problem is the deficiency of the people we are serving, our solutions will be narrow-minded and perhaps not altogether helpful - or worse, they will cause harm.

Clearly, we are talking about more than just fish here. We are talking about how to help people in poverty. We are talking about how to help marginalized groups of people. And, more often than not, the group in power or in privilege, the group with resources, has made decisions about what the other group needs. Oftentimes, without even asking them first.

Some of this may relate back to myths our culture deeply holds to be true about poverty in particular. Our culture believes and acts upon the assumption that people are poor because of bad personal choices. Their moral failure is to blame. We believe in the American dream, that if you work hard, the system will reward you. This is another myth that has not proven to be true in our country's history (with a few possible exceptions). 

These beliefs mean we tend to judge "them" in ways which are unfair. These beliefs mean we turn a blind eye to unjust systems, to discrimination, and to a lack of choice and opportunities offered to the most marginalized. We have misunderstood the problem, assuming they themselves are the problem, and therefore, are not coming up with the right solutions.

Those who live in poverty and marginalization are the experts on what they need. They are the experts on their own culture and context. They tend to be incredibly resourceful and "street smart" - they have had to be. If only we were to ask what they need. If only we were to come alongside them and walk with them, a parallel assistance as opposed to a top-down effort. 

Though I have been speaking about service organizations, it is important to recognize that as a Church, we do these types of things all the time. We even blame poverty on sin. This is especially true in the White Evangelical Church.

A friend who pastors at a predominantly White church mentioned the other day that her congregation was more willing to give money for overseas missions than for the school around the corner. Why? Is it perhaps because it lessens our sense of responsibility? Is it because we don't want to get our hands dirty? Or is it because of the myths we have believed, that somehow the poor in our country are less deserving because they are "lazy" or "sinful", while the poor in other countries have a more legitimate reason for being poor?

I wonder. I'm not sure I have a complete answer.

While some of the Church has been at the frontlines of helping, we have also been standing by with protest signs, throwing rocks at those who are trying to make a difference. Some of the Church has judged those who have asked for help - and those who are helping. We have created dependency, we have made assumptions about what people need, we have considered ourselves superior (white savior complex, anyone?). We have also kept our hands "clean" by staying out of the great need around us.

Or at least, we think that keeps our hands clean. But much like the Pharisees, who believed building walls kept themselves pure, we have failed to follow the basic commandments of the Bible. The commandments which tell us to care for the poor, to make sure everyone has what they need, and to seek justice for all. The commandments which tell us to love our neighbor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and welcome the stranger. The commandments which let us know God cares about our hearts and how we engage with others.

What we are doing now is not working. 

We can do better.

We must do better.

Or we will never see change.

"Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." - Proverbs 14:31