Pink eye!

So I have pink eye aka conjunctivitis. It pretty much sucks! But I went to the doctor today and got some antibiotic drops for my eyes, so in 24 hours I won't be contagious anymore. The main worry I have is that it spreads to the rest of the community that I'm living with. We are share pretty much everything, so keeping myself separate and stuff isn't easy. Thankfully the DTS has gone up to Eagle Rock, out maintain campus, and will be there for the next week. This means that there are only 5 students and a number of staff on the base. So it's kind of a good time for a contagious disease to do the rounds! ;)

Please be praying that this will start and end with me. I have no idea where/who I picked it up from, but there for over 300 people at the base on Friday for the returning DTS's graduations... So really it could have been from anyone! What I do want to make sure is that no one else has to pay to go to the doctor and get the eye drops that I had to, because it's just such an unnecessary expense that many people here can't afford. So please be praying! Thanks :)

When Helping Hurts

"How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor... and yourself"

Book written by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

This is my book report from the second book that I have read in my Community Development for Missions training school. My first book report on the book "Truth and Transformation" can be found here. 

A - What are the key themes and principles that were communicated in the book? 

When Helping Hurts was written to make people wanting to help the poor realise the ways in which they often end up hurting the poor more than they help them. It not only points out what we need to avoid in mission and community development, but also proposes alternative solutions to improve the way that we help poor people while avoiding hurting either or both parties in the process.

The first part of the book looks at the foundational concepts of helping without hurting. Herein it discusses why Jesus came to the Earth – not just to save our souls, but to restore our relationships with Him, ourselves, each other and the rest of creation. We need to remember that in every aspect of community development we want to be bringing restoration in these three areas, as Jesus did. The book then looks at the real definition of poverty from the perspective of the poorest people. The define it as being so much more than a lack of material possessions, but as a lack of dignity, value, self worth and power.

Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work. When we come in as outsiders to a poor community we need to realise that we have mutual brokenness. Financial gifts in these situations tend to do a lot more harm than good as they do not solve the underlying problem of poverty. In our attempt to bring about poverty alleviation, then, we need to strive to bring about reconciliation in all four relationship areas. This means that sharing the Gospel is key to being able to bring true transformation.

Part two of the book goes on to outline various strategies for helping the poor without infliction additional harm. It is essential to remember that development should be done with people and not for people. The importance of providing the right kind of help was then addressed, looking at examples where relief, restoration and development are appropriate and when they are not. An organisation should choose to focus on one of these areas to be the most effective.

Another principle discussed was to focus initially on what the community already has, rather than their needs. This helps a community to see their own strengths, rather than wallowing in their weaknesses. This can be done through Asset Mapping, Participatory Learning and Action or by an Appreciative Inquiry. In order to be the most beneficial to the community, the people themselves need to be involved in the development process from the planning stage, right through to the evaluation stage. In doing so, it is also imperative to give a voice to the marginalised and make sure that their input is also gained.

The third and final part of the book analysed practical strategies for helping without hurting. It first looked at the short term missions (STM) phenomenon. More often than not, STM go in, do something and leave feeling good about themselves. But the locals are often left in a much worse situation. There are many causes for the hurt that STM teams bring; the major reasons coming from the foreigner’s lack of understanding of the local’s culture, their concept of time and their concept of self. In order to be effective, STM need to come in through an existing ministry that is working long-term in the community and have a good understanding of the community’s needs and culture. STM teams need to seriously consider their reasons for taking a team, evaluate how the community is benefiting and ensure that the community actually want them there.

The book then went on to discuss the need for poverty alleviation methods in the United States itself which I have discussed in more detail in part C. After addressing what poverty looks like in the States, it outlined possible solutions that can be brought by the local church to the poor in their immediate surroundings. These can include workshops and classes on managing finances and training in the soft skills needed for successful employment. The final chapter then looked to the rest of the world and looked at ways in which different economic solutions can be implemented to bring about the material poverty alleviation required in a sustainable long-term fashion.

B - How can you apply these themes and principles to both your personal life and as a community development practitioner?

This book has been great because, while it has not taught me that many totally new things, it puts things that I have learnt in various different parts of life in one concise book. I am excited to take this book home and give it to the missions committee at my church to challenge the way that we do missions and propose some changes to our STM programs. I have learnt the importance of including the locals in every step of the development process and this is something that I want to make sure I implement in my personal life and in any development involvement.

I have previously been involved in helping communities out by doing practical things that I now realise they could have done for themselves. I now recognise how hurtful this can be and will endeavour never to do it again. Ensuring that the community themselves actually want us there, not just our group thinking we are needed, is also something that I will take into consideration in the future. Finally, this book has given me some new, insightful ideas for how to further develop my Masters in Computer Science work that I plan to do in 2013 with additional elements that will help bring about greater lasting change. I really enjoyed the book and I look forward to having the opportunity to put what I have learnt into practice.

C - Is there anything in this book that you have more questions about or disagree with?

I struggled the most with chapter 8 which addressed material ‘poverty’ in the United States. I put poverty in inverted commas on purpose, as I cannot agree with the authors that this is true material poverty. The authors described their monetary income, the amount of the welfare cheques they receive and their living conditions; all of which are better than most people in South Africa. I cannot believe that someone would be considered ‘below the poverty line’ while receiving $1200 from the government each month, the equivalent of nearly R10000; a reasonable starting salary for university graduates in South Africa. I understand that the cost of living can be higher in the United States in some respects, but I also think that the expected standard of living is extremely high. I cannot agree that these people need government or church funding, when they are already living better lives than the majority of the rest of the world, and thus I cannot consider them to be living in poverty. If you truly want to see poverty, you need to go and see how people live in the rest of the world. 

Truth and Transformation

The first book that I read during CDFM (Community Development For Missions) is called "Truth and Transformation". It is written by an Indian man named Vishal Mangalwandi. It is subtitled "A Manifesto for Ailing Nations" and looks at the ways in which communities can be transformed through the truth of the Bible. Below is the book report that I wrote for my class, answering three specific questions. I decided to post it as a blog so that you guys can get a little glimpse of the type of stuff I'm learning about.

A - What are the key themes and principles that were communicated in the book?

The first part of the book addressed the question “Do we need transformation?” The West was transformed by the Reformation in the 16^th Century, when the moral values of the Bible became the foundation of many nations. From corruption and an uprooting of these values that originally transformed societies, it is possible that the West is slowly losing the moral ground that has helped them prosper in the last half millennium. Rationality is discussed to be rooted in Christianity and the trigger for the technological progress of the West. The value in humanity and the freedom from menial labour that Christ’s death brought enabled humans to advance societies. Instead of seeking spiritual enlightenment through meditation, they sought to develop their minds and stretch their capabilities to experience life abundantly. Societies where this has not happened still are still spiritually oppressed and burdened by menial labour.

The family unit is highly valued in the Bible and its importance in Western civilisation’s history enabled strong communities to be built. The downfall of the family unit’s importance in more recent years has been a trigger of the West’s recent collapse. Likewise, the idea that humans are made equal in the image of God shaped much of the West’s previous success. However, in societies where value is not given to all people, oppression, poverty and death result. 

The second part of the book continued by looking at the question “Can nations be healed?” When looking at what Jesus accomplished on Earth and through his death and resurrection, Vishal discusses that Jesus’ wounds are for the healing of the nations, not just to save our souls. This includes bringing reconciliation between hostile people groups. Jesus has a rebellious compassion that practically loved people, while fighting against the injustice in Israel.  We are called to do the same in order to bring transformation.

The Kingdom of Heaven comes on Earth when we submit ourselves to God’s Word. Recognising the spiritual forces on the Earth, both good and evil, is necessary in order to combat the strongholds of the enemy, which hold communities in bondage, to bring freedom and life. Truth is the key to transformation and the ability for us as humans to cultivate our minds is a gift from God. Christians need to take an active role in education and teach people to know God. Jesus came to give us the knowledge of truth, for the truth will set us free. The Law that God gave us sets the way for community development to occur. When even one of the Ten Commandments is not upheld in a community, its downfall is inevitable. The consequences of our sin lead to poverty and pain. God’s law is a blessing that can revolutionise cultures and communities.

Following from this, the third part of the book addressed the question “How does the Gospel transform?” For a society to be reformed, it needs to be made aware of what is wrong, what is right and how it can change. This requires a spiritual awakening and mass movement. Evangelism is thus vital for proclaiming the truth that sets people free. This must include both that Jesus saves and that Jesus is Lord. This revelation can only come by the power of the Holy Spirit, who gives us the strength to stand against the powers and principalities that are corrupt and evil. Through Him we are able to refuse to accept injustice, no matter the consequences.

The church has been given to nurture people into truth that encourages loving relationships. As a community of self-sacrificing love that it is intended to be, the church can stand against poverty. We need to stand up to empower the oppressed as Jesus did. Through His death, Jesus brought about restoration in our relationships with Him, each other and with creation. We can thus have hope, even in the midst of what circumstances that might seem hopeless, for in Jesus there is hope in spite of our human failures. God’s purpose was to restore man’s dominion over the earth and will not destroy it when He comes again, but will make it new and come to live with us on Earth forever (John 14:23, Rev 21:2-3). If we want to see God’s power bring deliverance, we need to act in faith and obedience to what he calls us to.

Finally, the fourth part of the book posed the question “How can I participate?” This section is an appendix to the main book and deals with three different topics: Corruption and the Culture of the Cross; From Worldview Programs to Kingdom Movement; and finally, Transform America: Retake Education.


B - How can you apply these themes and principles to both your personal life and as a community development practitioner?

This book has opened my eyes to see the amazing way that God blesses communities who are founded on his Word. I was not previously aware how influential this has been to the successful development of the West since the Reformation. I can now see that even those who do not believe in Jesus are blessed through a community that follows his commands. This has influenced the way in which I understand Jesus’ prayer, “May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

In my personal life I have been thus challenged to look for every opportunity to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, no matter where I am. I want to bring freedom for the captives, like Jesus did, and stand up against injustice, no matter the cost. As a community developer practitioner I one day hope to bring restoration in communities with each other, God and humankind, through teaching them God’s truths and a knowledge of Him. This will free them from the dominion of Satan and allow them to step into their purpose as people made in God’s image.


C - Is there anything in this book that you have more questions about or disagree with?

There are a number of times in the book where I felt that Vishal’s arguments were too generalised out of a specific case study and where he assumed an understanding of a premise that wasn’t fully rationalised in his argument. From this I struggled to fully agree with some of his arguments, while still understanding the heart of what he was trying to convey. There were also times in the book where I had to grapple with his argument for a while before being able to agree with what he was saying.

His focus and case studies often came from very different cultures from the ones in which I have grown up and thus I sometimes saw times where, while his application may apply in a European and Eastern society, it was not true for an African society. An example is his illustration of the ancient societies being able to build temples to their gods but not to liberate the menial labour of their people, keeping them in poverty. In Africa there has never been significant technological progress that was hindered by an incorrect worldview. Overall, however, I found the book to be a very interesting read, with a unique outlook that broadened my understanding of Community Development.

So far so good :)

It's been two weeks, but it feels like so much longer than that! Being back at YWAM Denver is so amazing and I'm really really enjoying it so far. At first a I was a little nervous about coming back, because I knew that a lot would be different from my last time here in 2007, and also because of how much I have changed and grown since then. But it's only been a week and I already feel like I've known everyone for a few months and my room mates totally feel like family! It is especially awesome having Paul here and, even though we don't get to hang out that often, it's just great having him nearby and seeing the way that God is working in his life. 

Paul at the lake near the YWAM base. The YWAM base is directly behind him in the distance.

There are just five of us in my school, Community Development for Missions (CDFM). We are a really nice mix: Dante is our only guy and he is from the Bahamas. He is going to MIT in September to study Chemical Engineering. Kourtney is from Viginia and she went on her DTS outreach to South Africa and volunteered in Haiti for 9 months after the earthquake. She wants to study nursing after this school. Sarah G is a Missionary Kid who lived in Thailand and Burma for 4 years. She is now studying Renuable Energy for International Development in the States and taking a semester break to do this course. And finally there's Crissy who is originally from Colorado but has travelled a lot and is passionate about helping women caught in trafficking and prostitution.

My CDFM class: Crissy, Sarah G, Angie (staff), Keri (director), Jonathan, Kourtney, me, Jenna (staff and my small group leader), Dante and Kai (assistant director)

Our leaders are also really awesome people. Keri is originally from the UK and he has his Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a specialision in Community Development. His wife, Angie, is a nurse and they both have a huge heart for missions. They also have a really adorable 2 year old son called Jonathan who I am very quickly falling in love with, and another baby on the way :)

Angie and Jonathan

Last week we spent most of the time bonding and getting to know each other. We also went over the basic introductory things about being in YWAM and rules of the base etc. This week we are doing a video conference with a lady called Christine from the YWAM base in Khona, Hawaii. There have been quite a few issues with the technology, but they got stored out by Tuesday. 

The road outside the YWAM base, very often full of geese!

Thankfully God is able to work regardless and I have learnt so much about the lies that hold back cultures and societies and how we need to go to the root of these beliefs in order to bring about change, rather than just trying to bring change on higher level without looking at the reason for the lack of development in the area. Because so often the reason for the community being in that situation is rooted in a lie that they or someone else believes about them and until that lie has been replaced by God's truth. For example that we are ALL made in God's image and that he has given us dominion over the earth and we are not controlled by it. Through this truth God can bring about lasting change. I'm really looking forward to what else I am going to learn this week and I'm really excited for the rest of this training school!

The YWAM base covered in a fresh layer of snow :)

The weekly outreach that I'm involved in with the rest of my CDFM class is teaching English to Karen refugees from Burma who are now living in the States. We had EFL training on Sunday which was pretty interesting. Monday was our first outreach and I got to take the two hyper 10 year old twin boys, who were distracting the class, aside and teach them Maths, which I thoroughly enjoyed! They are such characters! I'm really looking forward to going back and working with them every week.

Ahtim and Ahtow

What a way to start 2012!

Right now I'm sitting on a couch in a little house in the outskirts of Oxford. What a week it has been! Paul and I have packing in so much sight seeing and touristy stuff that we are pretty much dead men walking now. I think we may have overdone it a bit, but it's lovely to spend some time with his extended family here in Oxford for a few days and slow down the pace a bit and 'recover' from the fast pace of London before we head off to the States. 

Hyde Park Swans

The church where my uncle
 Russell works as a vicar in Ewell

We landed at Heathrow on 30 December and spent a rather interesting day slowly making our way to Ewell, equipped with two big bags, one roll-a-board bag, two backpacks and a handbag. It was a little crazy, but we made it! We ended up stopping off at Hyde Park and meandering through the Winter Wonderland for a few hours. It was a little difficult with all our luggage, but well worth it! Food in London is rather pricey, so we ended up buying a loaf of bread and having a little picnic with a jar of Nutella I got for Christmas. :) 

The next day saw us waking up around midday, having caught up on some of the sleep we lost while travelling, and heading into London for our New Year's Eve adventures. We had organised to stay with a good friend of mine for the night, who is staying with her sister near St Paul's Cathedral for the holidays. It was such a blessing to have a place so close to the fireworks to crash for the night, because getting out of the center of London is nearly impossible with the crowds! After finally locating their place, we headed over to the fireworks viewing spots. We were about 6 hours early, but had been warned that it was necessary in order to get a good spot. So we had a little picnic, watched a movie, huddled together among thousands of other tourists under an umbrella and eventually watched a really incredible fireworks display. 

New Year's on Waterloo Bridge

Gabi, me and Tyrone

Catching up with Gabi later that night was wonderful, as I haven't seen her in two months and won't see her again for another six. We had some great girl-talk time and a good nights sleep before heading off to do some tyical touristy things the next day. Paul and I went to the Shakespeare Globe, the Tate Modern, the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. By the late afternoon the rain was bucketing down, my boots were drenched through and it felt like I was squelching in puddles with every step! But it was well worth it and we got to tick off quite a few things off our list!

St Paul's Cathedral

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

That evening we had a wonderful supper with my grandparents. It was really nice to see them again, share stories and catch up after not having seen them for about a year and a half. I'm so glad that Paul got to meet them too, as they immigrated to the UK soon after Paul and I started dating. It was also lots of fun realising how much I have in common with my aunt, Elaine, that I didn't know about: like being fussy about the different tastes of tap water and work better late at night than in the early morning! 

Granddad, Auntie Di, Elaine, Russell and me

On the 2nd one of Paul's dreams came true when we went to see the Emerite's Stadium; the home ground of his beloved Arsenal football/soccer team! Unfortunately we couldn't go inside the stadium, but just being there seemed to be enough :) We then headed to Hamleys and did some Oxford Street shopping. We also managed to squeeze in watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace too! Fun times!

The next day was a little wet and there had been some terrible wind and rain the night before, resulting in a number of trees falling over railway tracks. Because of this, it took us quite a while to get into London, but we eventually got to see the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and explored Harrods a bit. We stopped off for some Starbucks and a little more Oxford Street shopping before heading home.

What I will look like when I'm old,
according to the Science Museum!

Paul outside the Natural History Musu

Then yesterday we packed up all our stuff and came with Paul's uncle, Ron, to Oxford. It's been so nice to slow the pace down a bit, put out feet up and just chill! I've really loved hearing more about Paul's family history and noticing all the similarities and quirks that mirror his family at home, even in a family that has grown up completely on the other side of the world! 

Today we went into Oxford for a few hours and just wandered the streets and stopped in at a few shops. I'm delighted with the 2 year anniversary present that Paul bought for me, and he also got himself a really nice warm Oxford University hoodie :)

We now have another 2 and a half days to go before we leave for the States (on Sunday)! YWAM Denver here we come! I'm so excited to be back and to have some awesome time growing with the Lord and spending time seeking him and worshiping him! 

2012 is definitely off to a good start and I know that there is a lot more of good stuff to come!

10 days to go...

So the clock is ticking and there are only 10 more days to go until Paul and I get on a plane and head off on our adventures! The last few weeks have been such a whirlwind of stuff happening! From end of (academic) year celebrations, to starting a job, to graduating, to preparing for Christmas and getting everything sorted for the trip, I feel like I have hardly had a moment's break. 

My graduation :)

But it has all been so exciting (barring some anxious moments with the skyrocketing exchange rate and the struggles of trying to adapt to a full 9am - 6pm working day)! I can't believe that the time has gone so fast and that it's nearly Christmas and then only 4 days later we leave! So much still to do! So little time... and I haven't even STARTED my Christmas shopping!


I'm very excited that on Wednesday my sister, Janine, is coming home :) It's going to be so great to spend a whole week with her before I leave! And I'm really looking forward for when she joins me in Denver and goes on staff at the YWAM base in a few months time.


If you would like to receive my monthly newsletters while I am away, please send me an email to spalser@gmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list. You can also subscribe to this blog by adding your email address on the left hand side under "Follow this Blog".

UCT Allan Gray Academic Prize entry 2011

I got a rather interesting email three days ago:

"Your overall academic performance this year has put you in a position of eligibility to apply for the prestigious Academic Awards sponsored by Allan Gray. The top prizes are worth up to R25 000, so it is well worth taking the time to enter this competition. Note that if you are a winner of one of the prizes we will let you know on Tuesday 13th December and you will be invited to receive your award at the Ceremony at 17h30 on the 14th December."

And so I decided that I might as well give it a shot. Here is my response to the two questions that were posed: 

Q1: What are the qualities of an excellent leader and describe the experiences that have contributed to your leadership qualities?

An excellent leader is someone who leads not only by their words, but also by their actions. They live out what they tell others to do, without having double standards. They set a high standard for themselves and strive for excellence, but are also transparent and honest about their humanity and able to confess their failures and shortcomings. They live a life of integrity and those who follow them trust them with ease. An excellent leader is a visionary who can share their vision through their contagious passion. They inspire those around them and take time to build relationships with their followers. They are not aloof, but approachable. They support those under their leadership when they fail and encourage them to learn from their mistakes.

An excellent leader mentors people who show potential and spends time investing in those who may take over from them in the future. They enable their followers to develop new skills and to grow. They also allow others to stand on their shoulders and rise higher than them. An excellent leader is someone who is willing to both teach and learn. They never lose sight of the big picture and always keep in mind their objectives and goals. They provide a good structure which others can depend on, but allow for flexibility when needed. Finally, an excellent leader is able to laugh at their mistakes and see the lighter side of things. They bring humour at appropriate moments and draw out the best in those around them.

During school I was given a number of leadership opportunities, including being House Captain, Head of Orchestra, Head of Christian Union and on the SRC. I was also involved in leadership in church and community service. Retrospectively, I realise how often I fell short as a leader and that I failed to acknowledge my mistakes. I always believed that an excellent leader was one that set high standards for themselves and held to them constantly. Consequently, I pretended that I did not struggle and I covered up my faults. However, during my gap year I had the privilege of being under very inspiring leaders. Chris and Sarah trained and led my team on service opportunities around North and South America. What immediately drew me to them was their openness and honesty. They did not pretend to be perfect, but readily admitted their struggles and asked for support. I was amazed by how much this made me respect them.

They inspired me to be more than I ever thought I could be as an individual and a leader and I have aspired to put what I learnt from them and others into practice in my various leadership opportunities during university. I have subsequently worked with the youth in my community and in the Transkei; mentoring younger girls and running life-groups, amongst others. In addition, at UCT I was a class representative, tutor, society committee member and project leader. Throughout I endeavoured to always go above and beyond what was expected of me. I am so grateful for the inspiring leaders who helped me grow to where I am now, and I continue to seek others from whom I can learn and with which I can share what I have learnt.

Q2: What should business leaders be doing now to make the most of the world in 2021? 

One of the most important assets of a business is not the products or services, but the people. Thus the most important thing that I think business leaders should be doing now to make the most of the world in 2021 is to develop the promising young people connected with their business through mentorship and internship programs. They need to identify those with strong leadership potentials. These young people should not be seen simply as future leaders, but as current leaders. This is because the ability to lead is not determined by one’s rank, position or seniority, but by the way in which they inspire and impact others. As such, the identified young people need to be mobilised in their potential and given the freedom to lead in a way in which they can learn and grow from their mistakes. They should be given the opportunity to lead alongside established business leaders and to both learn from and teach them. Through this, business leaders can instil good values and leadership skills in those who will be shaping the business world in 2021.