My preconceived ideas about development and community needs have been challenged and even smashed often over the past seven years. Often what I anticipate to be of paramount importance turns out to be a non-issue and things I take for granted or view as minor, turn out to be really significant for the people of Manica. This adventure of discovery becomes fun if we let go of our egos and stubborn ideas.
My first example is that of cell phones: I have been frustrated saddened and angered on many occasions by my Manican friends being obsessed with cell phone brands, models and features. I tried to explain to them that if your cell phone costs the same as what you earn in three months you are over spending! I tried to tell one of my friends who was literally too shy to answer his phone in front of others that having a phone without a color screen is not the end of the world. Again, I explained that many of my friends in Johannesburg who earn (literally) 40 times what someone in Manica earns, often have very modest phones and that the phone does not make the man (or woman).
All in vain… nobody in Manica changed their view or obsession with funky phones and the only thing changing was my level of confusion and frustration. Enter epiphany! It is easy for me as a ‘rich’ westerner not to be obsessed with a cell phone, because I have a car, flat, degree, GPS, i-pod, TV, DVD player, refrigerator, washing machine, tumble dryer, 100 pieces of clothing, a bank balance, laptop, etc, etc, etc. to make me feel okay with who I am and what I have achieved. Furthermore, I grew up with all these things, and my familiarity with material possessions enabled me to ‘move beyond’ to so called ‘deeper’ things. I realised that persons who ‘have’ can never comment on or try to influence those that does not ‘have’ about their views and priorities pertaining to material possessions. So, I shifted my thinking and tried to understand; it became all too obvious and pretty logical. Without a radio, i-pod or sound system, a phone with mp3 player is the only way for many to enjoy music. Without a regular camera, a phone with simple camera becomes a wonderful way of capturing special moments and people. A large memory card turns a phone into a mobile office for those who will never have their own office facility. Pertaining to style, Mies Van Der Rohe’s ‘less is more’ is key and since they guys from Africa don’t have certain complexes, they are happy to adopt a small is better attitude when it comes to cell phones. Jokes aside, if you grow up with nothing, is it really so bad to want to be cool and sophisticated and show off your small, funky phone?
I saw a lot of hypocrisy in my demand that I wanted my African friends (unlike all my western friends) to be little Ghandi’s or Budha’s with a 100% spiritual being that has no affinity to things ‘worldly’. Wanting others to learn from ‘our’ mistakes is not noble, it’s arrogant- and it took a Nokia 6234 with Bluetooth and a 4gig memory card to teach me this lesson.
Welcome to the next level of wisdom, dear Schalk...
Posted by: Muzungu | October 07, 2008 at 08:02 PM