When Charity Destroys Dignity and Sustainability

Abstract

This chapter focuses on issues of local sustainability and healthy self-reliance among healthcare institutions. It is based on the author’s experience primarily in East, Central and Southern Africa where he lived and worked as a non-medical cross-cultural missionary. The content draws attention to the importance of improving healthcare efficiency by recognizing the importance of mobilizing local resources rather than heavy dependence on outside resources. One of the local resources often under-utilized is the labor of villagers who, with proper training, could become effective in preventing illness, rather than simply expecting healthcare institutions to cure them after they get ill. Also included are stories of medical institutions in the non-western world that made the transition from being heavily dependent on outside resources to becoming locally sustainable. Several case studies are included. The author believes the transition to healthy self-reliance is possible depending on the beginning assumptions when a hospital, clinic, or other institution is launched.