Partnership

Traditional models of development treat the hungry as beneficiaries or objects of charity whose basic needs must be met. In this old paradigm, the hungry are waiting for us to help them because they can't and don't know how to help themselves. In this paradigm of viewing the poor as objects of charity, we neglect to acknowledge the 16 hour days the poor work to make a better life for their children, we forget to celebrate who they are as individuals and we forget to be curious about what they have to offer.

In the empowerment model of development, our brothers and sisters born into poverty are treated as creative beings, as the authors of the end of hunger, as our partners in creating a more beautiful world for our global family. This paradigm of partnership acknowledges that 2/3 of the world's population living in impoverished countries are not asking for charity. They are vibrant, talented and competent. They are intelligently demanding that we empower them with opportunity. They want to keep their dignity, preserve their culture, educate their children, protect the streams and trees in their backyards - and finally, they want to participate meaningfully in society, creating a world free from hunger and the realization of a more complete and inclusive humanity.