Teaching Stories: Part II

This story I told during a goat distribution of one of our partners. The program buys goats, gives individuals 4 or 5 and then the individuals are required to return the first kids back to the program. Despite the kid return, which helps, I think the project reinforces "dependency" mindsets, has backwards incentives (a better model might allow people to earn a goat through various work/contributions etc...), and can lead to favoritism (the beneficiary selection process is highly suspect). I made this story up to try and motivate the beneficiaries to make the most of this opportunity.

There once were two young men. The first was the son of a rich man. His father had many cows, many goats, and many sheep. This son was very lazy and didn't like to work. His favorite past-time was sitting, sitting all day long.

The second young man was the son of a poor man, who had no goats, no sheep, and no cows. He worked very hard every day. He would do any job that somebody would offer him. If it was digging in a quarry, he'd do it. If it was cutting hay, he would do it. If it was driving animals to market, he would do it.

When the first boy grew up, he received from his father an inheritance of 100 cows. However, he soon squandered them. He sold them to buy beer, he went and feasted on meat all day, but he never wanted to work. Soon he was left with only 3 cows.

When the second boy grew up, he received nothing from his father. However, he had worked so hard he had earned himself 3 cows.

Soon after, an aid organization came to the community and decided to give people cows. They chose both of the men who had 3 cows.

What do you think happened to the cows?

The first man received his new cow and quickly it died due to disease. The rest of his herd was soon gone.

The second man received his new cow and his herd continue to prosper. Within some years he had a herd of 20 cows.

Which of the men was poor? The first man was the one who truly was impoverished. His mind and heart were lazy, unwilling to work and that meant sooner or later he would be poor. The second man had a mind and heart that were rich and willing to work. Because of this, it was very likely that one day he would not be so poor.

Which of these two men will you be? Will you take these goats and lose them, or make them work for you? You may know some of the beneficiaries who received goats last year. Some are doing better now. Some are not. Its up to you to decide whether tomorrow, when you wake up with 5 new goats, whether you are rich or poor.