$2 a Day

Some people may be very sensitive about this subject, so I do not write this to anger or frustrate anyone who may be passionate about this. I have just found myself wondering and thinking...so I thought I would share.

The average wage for a working individual in Central African Republic is $2 a day. ICDI pays many of our men and woman more than this but still it is usually less than $10 a day. For the African culture, that is truly a great job. I have been very impressed with the knowledge of the two accountants I am working with to start new processes. There are a few things that I have been trained more in but for the most part these are fully knowledgable and capable men...having already been trained in accounting. Although I took a pay cut to do this job, I still make considerably more than $10 a day. If I would equate the value of a person to the amount of money we are willing to pay to have them work for us, I seriously struggle with this. I am not any more or less valuable than these men.

Then I begin to think, what would happen if we started paying the equal salaries to what we would pay in America. What would happen to them...to their family...to their village? Right off the bat, I would say that ICDI would not be able to drill as many wells, touch as many children, provide as many loans b/c we would have to pay the men more. So, our ability to impact more people would be decreased as we give more to a few. I get that...but if we gave to them would they buy more and follow that trickle of money that we learn about in the American culture. Or would it be like the countries where the rich mansion sits right next to the slums.

The one thing I have noticed here is that I do not see a large diversity in economic status. Don't get me wrong...there is a diversity but it isn't as starchly apperent to my eye. Jim who has lived here his whole life easily points it out to me. I often relate this place to feeling very primitive rather than slum like.

Then I begin thinking about the trend in America to boycott companies that buy cheap labor. I fully agree with boycotting companies that treat their employees inhumanly. However, if they treat them fairly and the average income of that country is $2 a day is it all that bad for these people to have jobs. If that income allows the individual to live reasonably well in their culture, should we look so poorly on a company that is providing these familys a way to feed themselves. I know that the answer is not simple and I know this is only one side of the coin. I truly have no idea what is going on with these companies or if what I am saying is really a reality there. But I know here, labor is cheaper than the states...we pay them well for their culture and most of the men and woman working for ICDI are in the upper class for C.A.R. In addition, we are able to have a more widespread impact to provide clean water, good hygene, orphan care, and eventually micro loans.

Yet, I still feel the lack of equality when I see someone with the same basic skills as me and yet he makes so much less. And I just don't know what to do with it....