—liociftf Firming. Sitowtoy. May 28.1974
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Brazilian Volunteers Helping People Help Themselves
“We’re learning and teaching at the same time. We’re here
to work alongside the people In helping them to help them
selves.”
These are the words of Donald Ranck, a Mennonite Central
Committee volunteer, and they come from Brazil via tape.
On the tape, Donald discusses the role of the volunteer, the
challenges they hope to meet and some of the problems en-
SgUQtered along the way.
DonUd Rarfck is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd H. Ranck,
Paradise, RDI, and is married to the former Virginia Wivell,
daughter of Mrs. Helen Wivell, Columbia, RDI. They have
already spent Vh. years working in Brazil, and plan to stay
another 1% years to continue working with MCC projects
there. A son, Eldon Antonio, was born to the Rancks on Oc
tober 29, 1973.
The Rancks went to Brazil as volunteers for alternative
service for Donald. They lived in a village for two years and
worked alongside the native Brazilians learning customs and
the language as they helped. After their two years, MCC
asked them to stay on and Donald is now supervisor of the
volunteers in Brazil. Donald is a graduate of Pequea Valley
High School and Penn State, and Virginia graduated from
Donegal High School.
The MCC project in Brazil is located in the state of Per
nambuco, which borders on the east coast of Brazil. The state
is in the sugar cane zone, a 50 by 150 mile wide belt in the
heart of the heavy rainfall zone. The Rancks now live in
Recife, which is the easternmost part of Brazil, and is the
closest point to the west coast of Africa. Brazil itself is larger
than the continental United States, lies south of the equator
and is two time zones east of Lancaster.
Donald says that a continuing goal of their program is “to
come up with the king of program in agriculture which ac
tually will be of significant assistance to the subsistence level
farmer. We need to provide technical service, but if it is so
complicated or cannot be reproduced by someone in the
community after we leave, then it won’t have the long range
effects we desire.”
“But.” he adds, “Not to introduce new technology means
we’ll have to move very slowly.”
Most of the people with whom the volunteers work are
sugar cane workers, but Donald says on the tape, “The
development of the sugar cane workers is next to impossible
because of the necessity for cheap labor to harvest the sugar
cane which produces 80 percent of the state’s economic
resources.” The sugar cane has been grown by plantation
owners for over 400 years, and so, according to Donald,
“paternalism exists to a great degree.” He adds, “It is dif
ficult to overcome the mentality of the people which is
largely based on subsistence level farming.”
Donald says, “We try to concentrate our efforts on people
who recently acquired land, or people who have had land but
haven’t developed it.” One problem, however, is that many
Lloyd H. Ranck points to the corner of Brazil where
his son Donald is a volunteer with the Mennonite
Central Committee.
V-
By Sally Bair,
Lancaster Farming
Feature Writer
* ‘ r»7
Don and Virginia Ranck are shown in their backyard
watering their vegetables. In the background are their
fertilized banana trees.
of these people have no skill in management, and therefore
“don’t know the best way to spend their time.”
“We are constantly searching for those who have the
capacity, the desire and the ability to lead, but we don’t seem
to be able to predict it.” Too often, he says, the “worker
turned-businessman” has a tendency to misuse the power he
has acquired and become just as oppressive as the people for
whom he worked previously.
He concluded, “the development process is extremely
complicated and answers don’t come easily. The key in the
development process must be an institutional person if the
development is to be lasting.”
The volunteers have worked with two cooperatives, but it
has been necessary for them to spend a great deal of time and
Don Ranck, Jose Alves and Custodio Lin are
pictured in Custodio’s chicken house examining
some eight-week-old hybrid broilers. . -
effort developing the supply, service and market in
frastructure which could make the co-ops a success. Ac
cording to Donald, “small production units are always at the
mercy of price oscillations no matter how well designed and
productive the projects are,” He said volunteers strive to
make things “work realistically.”
One cooperative has been formed to help buy chicken feed
and to market broilers and eggs, and volunteers are hoping to
establish a continuous supply of their product. Money for the
initial investment comes from MCC, and the workers repay it
without interest as the work becomes profitable.
One highly successful venture has been a garden project
which was organized around a school. School children
planted vegetables and attracted the interest of their
parents. Subsequently each family was given a plot of land
surrounding the school, and they have successfully grown
lettuce, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, celery and other garden
vegetables.
The Lloyd Rancks who visited with Donald and Virginia in
January and observed the projects firsthand discussed one of
the big problems facing the volunteers, and that is teaching
the people the concept of saving for a rainy day. They ex
plained that the mentality of the people is such that no matter
what they have they share it with a friend. They cannot, for
instance, save a cabbage for another meal (quite aside from
the fact that there is no refrigeration in the villages) because
there is always someone who needs the food now.
A very “exciting” development to Ponald was being able to
interest Mennonite communities in southern Brazil to take an
active part in the volunteer project. They now have volunteer
trainees from the south who will be working with the natives
in ongoing projects. One obvious advantage is the lack of a
language barrier and the certain basic understanding which
exists among natives of a country.
Another area which is of concern to the volunteers is
health, Virginia, a Licensed Practical Nurse, worked with
villagers in hygiene and prenatal and postnatal care, and the
work which she began is being carried out to some extent by
two natives whose small salaries are paid by MCC. But,
according to Donald, “Not a single institution is willing to
support the program and continue it.” He says a significant
step will have been taken “when we can withdraw support
and know that it will continue.” There are existing hospitals
and clinics for the natives, but very little is being done in
preventive medicine.
(Continued on Page 28]