Do you know what happens when you outsource your independence?

It takes a Goliath of a spirit to claim the responsibility for one's irresponsible behaviours. Most choose to defend self, explain self, with a desire to be more desirable based on justification. Reasons. Excuse. (Natalie Stewart, Poet)

One of the reasons that I am here in Uganda is to work on making this project self sustainable, that is, less reliant on foreign aid.  So far, they have been doing an absolutely splendid and awesome job. The woman who started this project is, in my eyes, a warrior! Someone with a vision and a passion. So, we have started these early Monday morning  chats to come up with ideas, be creative and see where we are with this vision that she has.

I said to her you are the darling of the aid agencies, many of them break down the door offering you grants and aid, why do you want to move away from that model? She was silent for about thirty seconds then she asked me” do you have foreign aid in your country?” I said yes but definitely not as much as here. She said “do you know what happens when you outsource your independence, when you beg? When you depend on other people for what you ought to depend on yourself for? Do you have the victim mentality in your country? Even for yourself, depend on other people for what you can and ought to give yourself and see how far it gets you!

Africa is not poor, have you not been here long enough? Have you not seen how much we have, we have food, minerals, oil, good weather what else, what else? I refuse to condone this victim mentality, there are no victims here”

What happens in your country?

Take responsibility for yourself, you are here because you are supposed to be here, you have seen what dependency syndrome does. I am not discounting the aid I am saying that the help should be aimed at us helping ourselves!

Tell me what happens in your country when you depend on everyone else for what you ought not to depend on them for! It is very dangerous, very very dangerous and if you and your country are going down that road you are a victim and you will give away all of your power!!I refuse, I absolutely refuse. So, let us chat about becoming self sustainable ok?

So what did I learn today?

As long as we make our life/joy/ insert your word, dependent people places and things we are indebted to it, we are enslaved to it. In my mind if my good is as a result of people places and things then I am going to forever be desperate to hold on and try to keep that person place or thing but it’s us, it’s us, it’s. Who we are and when we can allow ourselves to realise that no matter what is going on the it is really all up to us.

Peace!!