Alec and Amy Zacaroli spent 10 years working with the poor in South Africa.
Every year people donate money to programs designed to help the poorest and most vulnerable in the world, and yet the suffering persists and even grows. Is it just too little, too late? Or is it simply a matter of not giving enough?
Neither, say Alec and Amy Zacaroli, authors of a new book that tackles this question.
They suggest that it may be a matter of giving too much.
Give 1.25: How Giving Less Can Lead to Greater Change is the Zacarolis’ look into lessons they learned from a decade of efforts to help poor, orphaned and vulnerable children in rural Africa through 25:40, a ministry they set up to help children in rural southern Africa.
The Zacarolis begin with a simple question: If the international poverty line is $1.25 per day as defined by the World Bank, can’t we lift a child out of poverty for a little more than that?
Yes, we can, say the Zacarolis. And not only that, donors should take a closer look at projects that spend much more than that, as they may not be addressing the root causes of poverty.
“We have found that by limiting the amount we give, we put more emphasis on local resources, thereby ensuring communities take the lead role in saving their own,” said Alec Zacaroli, who grew up in Ridgefield.
“If we insist on parachuting in and replacing communities and local resources with our own programs, no matter how costly and impressive, we are only setting ourselves up to fail. It is just not sustainable.”
Give125 begins with a personal account of lessons the Zacarolis learned in 10 years of working with South Africa’s poor. This is followed by an exploration of the state of the world and why so much suffering persists, despite the billions of dollars dedicated to diminishing it.
“What the poor need is a chance to help themselves out of poverty,” Amy Zacaroli said. “Often, the tools needed are already there. They just need a small boost, such as a microloan, skills training, or tutoring. With just a small amount of help, for instance, to grow food gardens to feed her and her siblings.”
The Zacarolis founded 25:40 in 2003 to help children in South Africa who have been orphaned by AIDS. They said their efforts to save some of the world’s most vulnerable children have led them to discover that most of the assets needed for helping a child are already in place in the child’s community.
“With some positive, loving support, education and a small amount of economic empowerment, all children not only can survive, but thrive,” said Mr. Zaccaroli,
Mr. Zaccaroli’s family moved to Ridgefield in 1979. He attended Ridgebury Elementary School, went to East Ridge Junior High and graduated from Ridgefield High School in 1987. He graduated from George Washington University with a degree in journalism in 1991 and worked as a reporter until 1999, attending law school at night from 1994 to 1998 at American University.
He has practiced law in Washington, D.C., since 1999, specializing in environmental law. His parents moved from Ridgefield in 1990 to New Hampshire. His mother worked as a special education teacher at several elementary schools in Ridgefield.
For more information, visit www.give125.org