Friday June 11th 2010
EWB uses the term Dorothy to represent the African individuals for whom, and with whom, we are working. Someone who we are accountable to for our work overseas, and who we think about when we question the type of impact we’re having. Dorothy is someone who reminds us of the lives of Africa’s rural poor caught in the cycle of poverty.
From the Orange Wiki of Change:
“Notwithstanding the various stakeholders, [..] there is one stakeholder who must always come first: the people in the developing communities with whom and for whom we work. The name ‘Dorothy’ personifies the “stakeholder who must always come first.”
Dorothy means something a little different for everyone in EWB– for some, it’s a nostalgic reminder of a great person they’ve met overseas, while for others it’s a faceless concept that grounds them to realities they haven’t experienced.
I think that the Dorothy concept is a good idea, if only because the question “What would Dorothy want?” prevents EWB enthusiasts from slipping off into a jargon-induced coma via encouraging deeper, more critical thoughts from the perspective of those whose lives we affect. I like how the term is used in Canada, and I think that it plays a big role in EWB’s organizational culture. In fact, putting Dorothy first is our bottom line.
Lately I’ve realized that I likely won’t leave Ghana in August with one or two people in mind when I think of what the term Dorothy means to me in the context of this experience.
Before stepping off the plane at the Kotoko International Airport, Ghana was a giant, complicated puzzle with an additional layer of complexity– the puzzle pieces were all white. Try as I might to understand Ghana from Canada, I arrived fumbling to find the edge pieces, trying to solve a puzzle whose end goal, the complete image, I couldn’t see.
I want to share with you a brief introduction to some of the people who are helping me color in the puzzle pieces of development in Ghana. While none of these people solely represent my “Dorothy”, they do represent a cross-section of individuals who motivate me, pull at my heart-strings, and make me question what development, in the best interest of Ghanaians, really looks like.
Otto, a local farmer of both rice and maize, has been able to put his 10 children through secondary school because of his farming income. He told me that he was poor not because he was a farmer unable to generate an income. In fact, he’s poor despite his income because he has 10 children, all who need to be educated, and schooling is expensive. He wants to see that his children, 6 boys and 4 girls, are all successful in life. Otto works hard to make a living and is continually balancing setting his children up for long-term success with providing for his family’s immediate needs.
Mary is 24 years old, and 5 months pregnant with her second child. Her husband, Eric, is a carpenter and travels frequently to find work. Mary spends most of her days cooking and cleaning with Eric’s mother and tending to her young daughter Lucky. Despite her pregnancy, she still walks 10 minutes to the nearest source of clean water, fills up a large metal bowl, and gracefully carries it back to her home. For reasons unknown to me, Mary has only her primary education. I look at Mary and think that if she had the opportunity, she could contribute more to society.
Prosper is an 8 year old Ghanaian boy with a glowing spirit. I saw his youth and innocence as he ran with his school friends, chasing a ball made from plastic bags down a dusty dirt path. I see that he is filled with curiosity and imagination as I watch him navigate the path of a tire, using two sticks to steer its course, across a bumpy landscape. He is just a kid– having fun, playing with friends, and enjoying life– like any kid loves to do. I won’t know Prosper when he’s in his 20s or 30s, but I hope that he captures his ingenuity and puts it to use for the betterment of Ghana.
For me, Dorothy doesn’t have a face. However, when I return to Canada, she will have a voice. It’s a voice that echoes the sound bites of the many Ghanaians I’ve met, and will continue to meet, that keep me relentless in my hope for a brighter Africa.
Thanks for reading,
Erin
