Can you help when you are being helped or do you prefer being helped?

I guess my impression of non-prosperity of Malta (and the need of an ‘up-grade’ ;-)) came from my travelmates. I wouldn't notice myself the seemingly neglected houses, broken pipes and water flooding the street (well... flood? you haven't seen Sidoarjo!) and other ‘little things’ which do not usually happen in west European countries.

Perhaps seeing my friends’ reaction - this sense of ‘we are better’, or “Well, here is a developing country. But EU will bring improvement, which is needed INDEED!” – made me feel pity towards my own country. What do foreigners think when they come to my country? Of course they will have that damn impression: “Oh it’s beautiful. So exotic. I love your country so much!” But, what do they really feel when they see all the relative inconvenience that makes them do not feel as safe as in their own countries? Perhaps it’s more or less expected, accepted as the ‘fate’ of a developing country.

I used to think that having the concern from other countries would provide help in solving some of my country's problems. They could at least provide scholarships, networks, pressure in certain issues. We campaign abroad when we’re stuck in our own country, don’t we? We want to learn from foreign countries, which are seen as more advanced, more progressive. And we want them to help us.

Once my friends were discussing the autobiography of Hirsi Ali. One of them who had read Mijn Vrijheid told us how severe the condition of women in some countries is, as pictured in her book. What is their concluding remark then? “Wel, Netherlands is toch beter.” (The Netherlands is indeed a better place). What is actually the impact of an outside-concern like this to the actual problems? Maybe only an acknowledgement, that some of the people from these in-developing countries have been good enough as pupils from them, have been eventually enlightened.

A country is like a home. When it is neglected by its own members, nobody else can do anything about it. People from outside can have concern, can offer help, but it will be always limited. They can give advices, can give examples. But the members would only find the answers to their problems inside their home, unique to their own.

There is one quote saying this: ‘In the future the world shall not be classified into: developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries. But we shall put them into: smart, smarter, and smartest countries.’ There is more than enough evidence in nature that makes me believe in this. Harsh condition makes creatures becoming stronger, developing the necessary tools, and eventually surviving others.

Then I am back to my old question. What can I do in my country? What contribution that I can make? Once a friend said that I should just do the best I can do in my capacity. Doing something, especially with the best effort, is of course better than doing nothing. But would the best thing that we can learn by studying abroad be in finding alternatives? That the so-called solving-problem-power is the ability and persistence in exploring beyond the frontiers and being creative? That we should always try to do something that gives an added value, not just a repetition?


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"Everyone must dream. We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming - well, that's like saying you can never change your fate. Isn't that true?" (Amy Tan, The Hundred Secret Senses)