Week 2: Chapter 1 — When Helping Hurts

1.The authors present several case studies — including a church that flooded a Haitian market with free T-shirts, undercutting local vendors — where charitable interventions damaged local economies and community dignity. Which of these examples struck you most? What went wrong, and why?

2.Corbett and Fikkert argue that one of the core problems is that helpers often don't ask, 'What is the nature of poverty?' before they act. What is the danger of skipping that diagnostic step and going straight to action?

3.The chapter introduces the idea that poverty involves a sense of shame, powerlessness, and voicelessness — not just material lack. How does this broader definition change what 'helping' should look like?