"Stop complaining and just do something."

The quote above was taken from Gerson, one of the most inspiring individuals I've met in a while and one who really had some interesting thoughts on romanticizing the poor. Gerson works in Gurue with CLUSA, which is trying to ramp up soybean production with farmer associations (soybean is important for poultry feed), and I was able to tag along for a few days. Gurue, by the way, was called by Gerson's boss "the Garden of Eden", and he wasn't far off. But man is it rural.

There's only one paved road and late night entertainment consists of Laurentina beers and a plate of chicken at the only restaurant open after dark.

Anyway,Gerson has a lot of experience in development, on the ground and in management, so he had unique insights into what is actually happening in both arenas. His attitude is one of put up or shut up. He's sick of aid organizations talking, advertising, and getting so little done. Riding through the villages you notice the pervasiveness of aid organizations by the signposts at every corner. But you won't see any signs for his organization because they're not looking to be flashy - they just want to get stuff done.

After I really dug deep, Gerson - shy about his accomplishments - admitted that although he has only been here 10 months, he has already legalized nearly every farmer association (the number escapes me but it's something like 150). Why this wasn't done before baffles him - rather, it was just a bunch of farmers together with no legal status. At a recent meeting of local NGOs, a World Vision official said he wanted to do some work making sure all of the associations were actually legalized. The certification has been done, let's move on to bigger issues, Gerson says. He believes World Vision is looking to certify one or two associations and then claim it was an equal partner to CLUSA. This, Gerson says, is how a lot of development work gets done, or rather reported.

And he hears the same excuses, things like "It's Africa man, you can't change it." This is echoed not only by foreigners, but also by Mozambiqueans, citizens, and the government. The civil war is another common cry. Gerson argues that it's not a problem of the war or even an endemic African problem. Rather, he sees it as a problem with attitude. He said, "The war was over 16 years ago and still they use it as an excuse. I mean, come on, do something. Stop complaining and just do something." We talked about how there was so much untapped opportunity in the country, from tourism to agriculture, and why people were just sitting on their hands.

What I like about Gerson is that he doesn't get romantic about the poor. He stays practical. He's only willing to help those who are willing to help themselves, yet he understands when something goes wrong because of a factor outside of a farmer's control. And he only comments on things he has knowledge on, so when he refused to give an answer on a few topics, it made me feel more confident in his other opinions.

I also see a lot of me in him. I like how he works at the intersection of management and field work - probably a direction I'm headed if possible. And even at the bewilderment of his family and friends, who wonder "what are you doing in the bush?", he is committed to bettering his country. He's not yet looking to settle down like most locals: I asked when Mozambiqueans get married, to which the 29-year-old responded, "By now, I should have two kids." And also just like me, he can't cook. His game plan is to just throw things into a pot, entire tomatoes and onions without even dicing, and hope for the best. The dinner he made for me when I was over was pretty decent though, but then again I go for quantity over quality. He shared that when he had a big donor over one night at his boss's request, instead of cooking he ordered Chinese take out, topping it off with a roll of toilet paper in the middle of the table for napkins. It was funny because I wouldn't have done any different. But hey, don't get romantic, stay practical, right?