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Follow the Money by Vivienne Walt and Amanda Bower

 

What relationship do the authors discover about the workers level of poverty and how much they send back to their families?

I was surprised to find out the amount of money that is sent to poor countries by their citizens in support of their families back home.  I was even more surprised to find out that with the increase in the poverty levels, more money is being sent home - as much as 60% of their income per the authors findings.  I have to admire their survival skills and their lack of selfishness and commitment to their families and loved ones.  Obviously, there is a tremendous amount of sacrifice where priority is given to family and loved ones who may live thousands of miles away.  Not only is sacrifice being shown by sending the money, but also by the accepted poor living conditions that they are willing to endure in order to achieve dreams that they can clearly see through the eyes of their family members.  For example, when money is being used to build a home that is considered luxurious by any standard in a poor country – this is the dream home that the family has been waiting for.

 

If you were forced to relocate to another country, would you send money back to your family and relatives in your home country?  Why or why not?

I definitely would send money to my family if I am forced to relocate to a country, such as the United States, where better pay and numerous opportunities exist for a person to succeed.  What I would be doing is identical to what was reported in the article by Walt and Bower.  I personally come from a cultural background where children are expected to provide support and help to our families – no matter how much sacrifice this will demand.  Obviously, I can only do this if opportunities are presented to me to relocate to another country where I can make all their dreams come true.

Others who come from different cultural backgrounds may not be this receptive to the personal sacrifices that need to be done in support of their families and loved ones back home.  For example, a person who relocates from Switzerland to the United States would be less inclined to send any money home.  This is primarily because Switzerland has one of the highest costs of living in the world as compared to the United States.  In simple words a person who is wealthy in his own native country would not be inclined to send money back to his equally wealthy or well-to-do parents.  The inclination of that person would be one where saving for purchasing a personal home upon his return would be his first priority.

Overall, the article by Walt and Bower is very enlightening.  It is well written with numerous examples that demonstrate that this “Flow of Money” is a global phenomenon that takes place only among third world poor countries.  For citizens in wealthy countries, it falls upon all of us that we must demonstrate respect and appreciation for those individuals who have left everything back home and were willing to sacrifice even their own comfort in order to make those at home more happy.