by Jacob Goldstein

Mangoes
(Chana Joffe-Walt/NPR)

There are thousands of philanthropic groups in Haiti whose aim is to make life better for Haitians. So how come the income of the average Haitian is half what it was 50 years ago? How come life there wasn't improving, even before the earthquake?

One answer involves plastic crates, a big tamarind tree and lots of bruised mangoes.

Planet Money's Adam Davidson and Chana Joffe-Walt explain everything in a story this weekend on This American Life. Find out when it airs on your local station.