Taylor Martyn

Recent Activity

• 

  Taylor commented on the article | over 3 years ago

  Salary-time - How Much Do Aid Workers Actually Earn?

  :) A smart car would not last 1km where I work (Kenya/Sudan) even in town on paved roads, if you can find them. I wasn't going to repost, but u brought up another VERY important topic. Housing. I am trying to move my family into S. Sudan, but literally cannot afford the rent in a 3rd world town. The cost is through the roof b/c the prices have sky rocketed due to the UN staff taking up so much of it and paying top dollar.
  
  Really saddens me. The nice cars have no effect on me, except for the higher tax dollars i'm paying, and I can't afford to hire anyone to help out around the house so my wife can be free to do more mission work, but now I can't even have a roof over my head due to the housing problem.
  
  Many tribe's worldview is that we should provide everything b/c that's what the UN has been doing for 20 years (they truly think that is how it works, zero self reliance), the UN drives up the cost of EVERYTHING in the entire economy. What happens when they leave (if)?
  
  I'm not angry, but very discouraged.
  

• 

  Taylor commented on the article | over 3 years ago

  Where Best to Eat in Nairobi

  OH! It's so good. The environment is PERFECT. I've always thought that when you go out, you really pay for the service and environment... As long is the food is good. No matter what, if the food ain't good, I ain't coming back. But you pay for the service. This place is so relaxing and enjoyable to eat at. I just went for the second time. Unfortunately my wife is not a big fan of Ethiopian good, but I'm lucky to have lots of friends and co-workers who are.

• 

  Taylor commented on the article | over 3 years ago

  Salary-time - How Much Do Aid Workers Actually Earn?

  In my observations, it seems that UN people (in general) drive VERY nice cars (almost always new). So either their salary affords them the ability to buy these expensive vehicles or it's a perk of the job to get a nice personal vehicle. Either way, a huge expense in a place that doesn't need to have my hard earned tax money spent.
  
  I think anyone in any job should be paid a good wage.
  
  In the bigger picture, this is why I feel so strongly that mission organizations do things so well on the cheap. They are very limited in their financial resources (save for SP) but do a LOT with that little bit they have. It's all they got, it better work and work well for a long time.
  
  Other NGOs seem to be big spenders with little long-term effect.
  
  On another note, local vs. foreign salaries. This is a MAJOR PROBLEM. Many NGOs, especially the large ones, will come in and pay local people on the same salary scale as someone from the west. This has created so many problems in the culture it's not even funny any more. A new caste is created, families torn apart, higher expectations, and many more issues. One directly felt by me, it's nearly impossible to higher people with any skills (language, math, or just logical) anymore b/c either they are all employed by the UN or the UN has skewed the whole economy so that we can't afford to pay anyone who is available for work. It messes up the whole economy.