Corrupted relationships

On my travels, I encounter various forms of poverty. I could write books.

How poverty begins to develop in the smallest, most insignificant detail and ends in a spiral of social, health and educational poverty. Like for example here in the Dominican Republic. No free access to clean drinking water or money for school uniforms. Usually, social advancement is denied for generations. This is not a "poor" country, by the way. It has everything, it is "only" politically, economically, and socially corrupted.

But that is not what I am concerned with today. I have been concerned for many years with how tourism in "poor" countries corrupt the relationship between "poor" and "rich".
However, I only encounter it in tourist centers, not where there is hardly any tourism, such as in rural areas. And not with people who themselves "have enough." If they do not feel a subjective experienced lack.

I speak here of Central America. In Africa I experience it again differently.

I take as an example my former housekeeper Jilcia here in Las Terrenas. She was recommended to me by my former Spanish teacher here, a trustworthy person.

She is smart, funny, helpful, and friendly. We always have lunch together. We have good conversations. I trust her. She does my shopping for me. I pay her above market price because I pass on to her what my health insurance pays for the first two weeks after leaving the hospital.

I apparently pay her so well that she can finally save the money for a security deposit to move into a real cement house. She previously lived in a wood and corrugated iron shack. She keeps thanking me, too.

I can already tell that she knows exactly how to deal with me to build trust.
She has good people skills. She has experience with tourists.

I think I ignore it because she is one of the few social contacts I still have after Claudia left.

I ask her to bring me the receipts. She does from the supermarket. She says the small merchants don't issue them. Good. I can imagine.

Until she doesn't buy for me anymore, because I notice that she always takes small amounts for herself. The first time I notice it is when I go to buy fish myself. Instead of paying 250 pesos for a pound of tuna, I pay 180. I also get a receipt.

I am not surprised, but still disappointed. I understand her, the temptation is great. Still, it affects our relationship, I don't trust her anymore. The relationship cools down. She gives less effort with cleaning; we don't eat together anymore.

When I talk to her about it and we have a discussion, she says at the end that I have enough money. Because of these small amounts. It is true, but it’s not the issue. It’s the trust. This is something she doesn’t understand.

This is exactly what I experience again and again in tourist centers. The expectation of poorer people to the "rich" tourists giving money, without services in return.
That you can cheat them and there is nothing wrong with it.

This expectation always stands between "poor" and "rich", makes a carefree, friendly relationship impossible.Read more