How to say, "To help people help themselves" in Spanish

Question

I need to translate the following:

(Our mission is...) To help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources...etc.

"Ayudar a la gente para que se ayude a sí misma y su ambiente por proveer los recursos..."

Does this sound right?

Thanks

Yo quiero decir: (Our mission is...) "To help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources...etc" en español.

¿Tiene sentido lo siguiente?

(Nuestra misión es...) Ayudar a la gente para que se ayude a sí misma y su ambiente por proveer los recursos..."

Gracias

Answer 1

Hello, Arh1.

I obviously agree with Sinmeta, and gave my like. I'd just like to add a bit to the grammar reasoning.

In Spanish, the gerund is used either to

A. Speak about something that is currently in progress

• Estoy hablando - I'm speaking [right now]

or

B. As an adverb (telling how something is done)

• Estudio español escuchando música y leyendo libros de gramática - I study Spanish (by) listening to music and (by) reading grammar books

So Sinmeta changed "por proveer" (how we think in English) to "proveyendo" (how a Spanish speaker thinks)

Whenever you want to say that you do something (by ...ing) you use the gerund, instead of "por + verbo"

You were also left "mediante + verbo" and "através de" as alternatives.

Also, I think it's best to say "ayudarle a la gente" (they are the indirect objects receiving the help that is being given)

As a non native I would try to be as specific possible and write something more like this:

Nuestra meta es ayudarle a la gente a que se ayude a sí mismo y a su ambiente proveyéndole los recursos (que necesite)

Por cierto, también estudio español hablando con hispanohablantes y escribiendo con ellos mucho. - avispao, Jan 23, 2013

Ahora tengo una pregunta también, jaja.... voy a hacer un hilo sobre ella luego. (es algo muy sutil, voy a necesitar la ayuda de hispanohablantes) - avispao, Jan 23, 2013

Do you need "a" before "su ambiente"? - arh1, Jan 23, 2013

Puede que no. - avispao, Jan 23, 2013

Thanks, avispao, for your explanation of the gerund here! - arh1, Jan 23, 2013

Answer 2

I would say "ayudar a la gente para que se ayude a sí misma y su ambiente proveyendo los recursos ..."

Other ways to say it: "ayudar a la gente para que se ayude a sí misma y su ambiente a través de proveer los recursos ..."

OR

"ayudar a la gente para que se ayude a sí misma y su ambiente mediante proveer los recursos ..."

Gracias! So it's fine to use "a través de" here? I thought you could only use that with physical movement "through" space? - arh1, Jan 23, 2013