an aid worker once visited a struggling african village where the people faced significant food insecurity. wanting to provide a sustainable solution, the aid worker decided to plant a fruit orchard. they spent months working with the community, planting fruit trees that would eventually provide a renewable source of food for years to come. before leaving, the aid worker explained how the trees would grow and bear fruit, which could be harvested and eaten or sold in nearby markets to improve the community's livelihood. the villagers seemed grateful, and the aid worker left feeling accomplished. a year later, the aid worker returned to see how the orchard had flourished. to their shock, all the trees were gone. when they asked what had happened, the villagers explained that they had cut down the trees shortly after the aid worker left and sold the wood. the immediate need for cash had outweighed the long-term benefits of waiting for the trees to bear fruit.
Netherlands