Fishing

     Things are expensive.  Yes, even in Malawi.  There, people can pay two full days' pay for a small bag of beans.  Knowing this, I can appreciate the question posed to me by, what I hope are, well-meaning individuals.  
     Why don't we buy the supplies needed to build the dehydrators here, in the United States, and take them with us when we go to Malawi?  Or, better yet, why don't we simply build the dehydrators and ship them over? 
     Although either of these options would be less expensive and, quite possibly, less of a hassle, they do not match up with our mission.  

     I was recently reminded that we are fishing.  Obviously, we are not actually fishing with rods and reels.  However, we are fishing like the saying:  Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day - teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.  It is important to us to teach the ins and outs of solar dehydrators - how to build, fix, and use them - so that when we are gone more can be made and used.  This will not happen by buying and building here.  

     Another reason taking the cheaper route in building dehydrators does not match up with our mission has to do with the fact that Malawi is ranked the third poorest country in the world.  We believe it is important to support the local economy, to support those people who are working hard to provide for their families.  
     So, although money is important, especially to non-profit organizations like ours, we believe people are more important.  And because of this, we will happily continue to buy locally.  And we will continue to fish.