Landing Strips and Final Thoughts

A couple of weeks ago I met an American woman in Kampala who told me she and her husband were living in far northwest Uganda, where they were running a seven-week training curriculum for semi-literature pastors. I wondered why anybody would think that was a good idea. Not training pastors—that’s a great idea. But for middle class Americans to do it when there are many, many Ugandans who have just as much knowledge of the Bible and much better inside knowledge of the cultural environment. Trying to find a gentle way of making this point, I asked her, “Have you guys thought of partnering with a Ugandan institution to accomplish this, maybe somebody like KEST (Kampala Evangelical School of Theology)?” She had not heard of KEST, but she offered that if KEST was interested she and her husband could train them as well. Not quite what I meant. Obviously I was engaging in too much of that American indirectness I wrote about awhile back!

About a week later, Jim and I met for breakfast with several friends, among them the principle of KEST. I asked him if his institution was interested in partnering with American groups like the one I have described. His response was that he was open to any partnership, the problem was that Americans always wanted to do everything themselves from start to finish. He went on to list a range of cultural misconceptions that American-originated programs like this one often brought to their work.  Someone else at the table suggested that many international groups were just looking for an African institution to use as a landing strip. They had their programs already fully planned from back home, and needed a way to get them onto the ground overseas. And by the way it’s not just Christian groups; international educational and development efforts are at least as bad, maybe worse because they don't usually have the longterm commitment to live among the host nationals the way this woman did.

Why are we Americans like this? I include myself here, because it struck me that I probably resembled this woman, when I have walked into African universities with my research plans already set, asking for collaboration. What aspect of the American psyche makes us think that we, who grew up ten thousand miles away, know so much what Africa (or other parts of the developing world) needs? Is it arrogance? Stupidity?

Thankfully, my perceptive husband provided an explanation that is more gracious, and also more enlightening. He suggested that Americans’ strength is also our weakness. Americans have historically been pragmatists. When we see a problem our first impulse is to look for a practical solution. It’s a wonderful part of our cultural persona and undoubtedly key to much of our innovative spirit. But the flip side of that is we have a hard time seeing a problem anywhere in the world and not thinking that we should be the ones to fix it. We need to be aware of the limitations of our national character, though, because many times the more sensible solution is for host nationals to identify and fix a problem themselves.

It’s fitting that I’m mulling over these big picture thoughts about how I should go about partnering in research with African colleagues, because today I’m closing out my five-month sabbatical in Uganda. It’s been a beautiful gift from the Lord (and the UCF College of Sciences!) in which the research team at UCU and I have accomplished more than I anticipated. I have gotten to know a number of impressive, gifted people most notably my amazing department chair, Monica Chibita. My children have integrated so well that Joanna has already begun adding up how long it would take her working at Publix to save the money up for a flight back. I find I’m a major fan of the Fulbright program, which in some ways is based on the antithesis of the attitude I’ve described above. It brings American faculty and experts from industry and places them in the midst of universities in other countries. Pretty much the only money provided is for the upkeep of the scholar him/herself, so one can’t come in with funded solutions ready to implement. What one can do is to try to listen and learn on the terms of ones hosts.  I recommend it highly. 

And now it’s time to thank you, my readers, for your comments, encouragement, and perseverance. It’s been fun to connect with you in what is for me a new format. I look forward to communicating again with you face-to-face in the U.S., Kenya, or wherever we next meet this side of heaven!

Photos:

#1 Ugandan Shrine of the Martyrs, four days before Martyrs Day on June 3. I thought it rather ironic that the entry tent has the Pepsi slogan "Live for Now" on it.

#2 The research team at our farewell event. 3rd from right, dept. chair Monica Chibita.

#3 A finger of Lake Victoria visible from the hill above our house.

#4 Luke and Joanna at Kampala craft market.

#5 Goodbye to the beautiful view. John Parker, lead pastor of Summit Church, Orlando, and his son Sam visiting us. I'm holding Starburst jelly beans from the stash John's wife Brandy sent for Luke and Joanna. They disappeared with astonishing rapidity.