Mountains Beyond Mountains

MountainsBeyondMountains

Introduction

When the earthquake hit Haiti, the musicians came up with a song dabbed “Haiti 25”. The 1985 song “We are the World” was sang in aid of Haiti, and once again, Americans were called upon to help those in need. Through his book “Mountains beyond Mountains” Tracey Kidder takes the reader through a person’s responsibility to the society. He does this through Paul Farmer’s life. In this book, Kidder encourages one to raise such questions as whether helping others is necessary and up to which extents must one reach in the name of helping others.

Our Responsibility to the Society

Very few go to the graduation ceremony knowing that their next stop will be in some poverty stricken area doing charity work. However, this was the case with Paul Farmer. If he was not in Boston helping the people there and living in a church rectory, he was in Haiti in some area that could only be accessed using footpaths. When Kidder asked him about his life during their first flight together on their way to Boston from Haiti, Farmer seemed quite contented and happy with such a life. He later stated to Kidder that one can only do his/her best in such situations, in such areas.

In a previous discussion with a soldier who had been sent to Haiti to restore the political instability in the year 1994, among other soldiers, the soldier confided in Kidder that the United States government should let such countries be on their own. The soldier stated to Kidder “Does it really matter who is in power? They’re still gonna have the rich and the poor and no one in between” (Chp. 1). The soldiers would come, lift terror, and restore a government. After leaving, the country would go back to its poverty and broken-down state, just as they had first found it.

On the other hand, Farmer felt that it was our responsibility to intervene in such circumstances and help such people. In fact, he did not understand why “everybody isn’t excited about it (helping and living among the peasants, especially those in Haiti)” (Chp. 1). Put in a more direct way, our responsibility to the society is to do what we can, to our utmost best. One can only do so much. However, one cannot do it for the sake of being seen, he must do it knowing that at the end of the day, he/she will not have any regrets of withholding anything back.

Obligated to help or Not?

Time has proved that even the greatest of nations such as the United States of America can be struck by catastrophes. It is at these points that the global societies step in like the way this nation stepped in when other nations were struck by such catastrophes. Farmer was not only helping people in Haiti, but he was also helping those in Boston, in his home nation. Joe, a man in Boston who was HIV infected, was homeless and had alcohol and blood problems, once told a friend in the shelter he was living in that Farmer was a saint. Farmer had given Joe a six-pack as a Christmas present and had also helped him secure that shelter, among other good things he had done to him. Farmer told Kidder that such comments made him work harder. In the same way, the results and appreciation from helping the people in both our society and other societies encourage those helping. When catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes strike, the people are obliged to help as they will also need the same at some point.

Sacrifice Comfort

Farmer’s life creates the impression that one has to give up their comfort in order to help other people, whether they are within the society or outside the society. In fact, Kidder comments Farmer would have moved commenced from a good suburb to the poor neighborhood of Boston if he wished to. However, he chose to stay in the church rectory in the same neighborhood and within the peasants of Haiti. This impression is not true. Of course, it makes more impact if they see and feel one’s presence, but one can also help even from far.

Kidder states that after meeting with Farmer and seeing his passion in helping the poor, he constantly sent some money. Farmer used to write and thank him using a hand written note in return. Funds were greatly needed in these areas, and so Kidder made an impact indirectly. People like Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have made an impact in the lives of children and those who are HIV+ through their foundations. They live in elegant homes and drive nice cars.

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Junior are two extraordinary people who made significant contributions to the society. Gandhi, like Farmer, was a lawyer, made in own clothes and lived very humbly. On the other hand, Luther’s family lived comfortably although he was of enormous influence in the society. This shows that one can live in both ways and still impact the society.

Effect of Privilege and Power to Haitians

In 1994, the Haitians were governed by the military junta. The American soldiers were there to reinstate the government which had been democratically elected. Like in all cases of change of power, there was resistant. One of the people who was known to resist this change was a local rural sheriff known as Nerva Juste. He was feared by many people in this region. In fact, he was a suspect to the murder of the Mirebalais’ assistant mayor, who had been beheaded and then thrown in the ArtiboniteRiver. Although the American soldiers had arrested him, they released him due to lack of enough evidence.

As a result of this release, the Haitians started losing their faith in the American soldiers. They claimed that the Americans were no longer on their side. This was a sign that the Haitians felt intimidated by the power such people as this sheriff had on them. They felt that the military had too strong a power to be conquered by the American soldiers. Consequently, this blame fell on such local people as Farmer. They resisted his help as they thought that he was pert of the American soldiers. They had dared Farmer not to stop at the soldiers’ camp in order to enquire about the mayor. The mayor had been democratically elected.

Like in many other societies, the more one is powerful, the more one is influential. Although most of the people in Mirebalais could not afford medical care, the local doctors had insisted that people should pay for the medical services given. Farmer had to step in and agree with them in order to avoid any conflicts but then add that the children, women, destitute and those who were critically ill would not pay. Farmer shows that the Haitians needed an external and powerful force to advocate for their rights and will. In a country such as Haiti, power and privileges are used in benefit of the wealthy while the poor continue to languish in their poverty.

Race and Class

The western countries have been known for many years to assist countries in Africa or other developing countries. For such reasons, these developing countries view the Caucasian skin with mixed feelings. In most cases, whites are viewed as either those who have come to help or those who have come to destroy. As Farmer travels in countries which happen to be of the black race, he experienced mixed feelings. When the assistant mayor was killed in Haiti, the people started seeing the American soldiers as the enemy. In other countries, he experienced resistance as they associated it to the colonial days but then they slowly accepted him as they found him to be of good will.

The book identifies that certain people are expected to live and act in a certain way. For example, doctors are expected to live in the suburbs and commence from there if they are able to do any voluntary work at all. This is one of the reasons why Kidder finds it hard to understand Farmer in his first encounters. He was a medicine graduate, a PhD holder in anthropology but chose to live such a life. In Haiti, Farmer taught that the skin color does not define once mission nor does once status dictates how one would live. It was all a matter of personal choices.

The suffering of Others and Mine

We all suffer in one way or another. However, the magnitude of our suffering is needed. I can relate my sufferings with other people’s sufferings. If I have trouble getting money to buy fuel for my car, I can always donate money to those who have trouble finding shelter or even that one meal in a day. Taking a bus to my destination for a couple of days if I have to will not hurt. In relation to other people’s sufferings, there will always be a person who is suffering more than I am. This means that there is always an opportunity for me to help others, no matter the little I do, just like the way Dr. Farmer started.

Healthcare in Haiti and the U.S.A

Although most of healthcare in U.S.A is not worse than that of Haiti, there are a few similarities. Just like low earning people have difficulties accessing healthcare in Haiti, so are the same circumstances in the U.S. The low earning people have trouble accessing proper medical care especially if their plans do not cover it. The insufficient supply of drugs, proper facilities, sanitation and the staffing are greatly discussed. Under staffing, medical supplies and improper care for the low earning strike the attention.

Political and economic Imbalances

Through the experiences in Haiti, it has been identified that political imbalances affect other areas in the citizens’ lives that particular nation and the other global societies. The political instability in Haiti affected the lives of those in the U.S since soldiers had to be sent there and tax players’ money was used to stabilize the situation. Other people such as Farmer had to go there to take care of their neglected needs.

Third World Lives and Conditions

Most of the problems in the third world countries are caused by poor leadership. Selfish and corrupt leaders mismanage funds that would otherwise be used to provide infrastructure and resources for the benefit of all the citizens. Most leaders do not think about the future of the country. They only mismanage the available resources just to ask for help when calamity strikes. For example, when there is rainfall, they do not store the water for irrigation during the dry spell. They later ask for donations when hunger strikes.

Conclusion

The book acts as an eye-opener to those who are reluctant when it comes to helping those in and out of their society. I can recommend the book to anybody. It is not disappointing as it tells the story of a man and his quest of helping those in his society and those outside his society. The issue of persisting in places which were almost impermeable by somebody of less political influence such as Farmer was very striking. This work has changed of view of being of help not only to those in my society but also to those outside my society.