My sister's rant on NGO's in Kenya

[Rosie_0801]

Not sure if anyone is interested but I thought I'd post anyway.

 

"There is a village called Lodwar in Turkana (NW Kenya) and it’s practically a desert. The people are pastoralists, used to herding cattle. But because of the drought, the cattle have died. This is the only life the people have ever known, so they don’t know what else they can do.

 

Now, a few minutes drive away from Lodwar is an NGO camp (not sure which one, let’s call them SCUM). This camp has been in the area for 5 years. And the locals have no idea what they actually do, there has been no benefit to the community whatsoever in the entire time they’ve been there. And to make matters worse, they rub it in every time they drive into the village in their huge brand new 4WDs, faff around and then go home to their 4 bedroomed house.

 

So, SCUM continually drops off food aid packages to Lodwar, which is all very well and good, but when the food runs out, it runs out. There is absolutely no water (literally) and no food, so what good is a sack of maize?

 

The only economic benefit to Lodwar is a single tree. The tree has leaves that can be dried and woven into mats. But, Lodwar is several hours drive away from the nearest town, and of course nobody has cars to transport the mats to sell. So, along come SCUM, who decide to come and by the mats in exchange for food. Yes that’s right, they TRADE the mats for food, then go and sell the mats themselves and the community never sees the money. As far as SCUM is concerned, it’s their property. My question, why the hell doesn’t SCUM go to the nearest town once a month, sell the mats, and use the profits to actually help the community? The people don’t need money, they have nothing to buy or sell. What they need and want is help. They want to work together and help each other survive as a community.

 

Then consider another village called Mbeere. Let’s say SCUM works there too. This area is exactly like Lodwar, has no water at all, no food, nothing. And SCUM has worked there for several years, just dropping off food and clothes and leaving. Then one day a pastor came to visit. He decided to dig a bore hole. Suddenly there was water (who would have thought?). Then because most parents brought their children with them when they collect water, the pastor decided to build a school. So, each day, the families had a gathering to the bore hole, the fathers with the cattle, the mothers to collect water for the family, and the children to the school. 5 years later, the town has a “city centreâ€, namely a tiny shop, a high school and a primary school. It took a local pastor to use money out of his own pocket to make a difference, yet SCUM, despite their huge amount of money, still continue to do nothing but dump food and run.

 

Then there is Kapedo. They have a river running around the town, where the locals bathe and collect water. And there are also two underground hot water springs that fall into the river as waterfalls. So there is fresh supply of warm water every day. Kapedo also has no food or cattle due to drought. SCUM comes in and gives food and clothes, then leaves. The locals make baskets, but can only travel 3 hours to the nearest town to try and sell them. Firstly, nobody has cars to make the journey, or money to take the bus (which takes around 6 hours). Then, of course, a town in the middle of nowhere has no need for mats, there’s nobody to sell them to. So, why doesn’t SCUM make a trip to Nairobi once a month and sell them there? And why doesn’t SCUM look at Kapedo and say “wow they have a river, I wonder if we could irrigateâ€. Then wow, crops will grow, problem solved."

 

Rosie

[LG Gone Wild]

Not sure if anyone is interested but I thought I'd post anyway.

 

"There is a village called Lodwar in Turkana (NW Kenya) and it’s practically a desert. The people are pastoralists, used to herding cattle. But because of the drought, the cattle have died. This is the only life the people have ever known, so they don’t know what else they can do.

 

Now, a few minutes drive away from Lodwar is an NGO camp (not sure which one, let’s call them SCUM). This camp has been in the area for 5 years. And the locals have no idea what they actually do, there has been no benefit to the community whatsoever in the entire time they’ve been there. And to make matters worse, they rub it in every time they drive into the village in their huge brand new 4WDs, faff around and then go home to their 4 bedroomed house.

 

So, SCUM continually drops off food aid packages to Lodwar, which is all very well and good, but when the food runs out, it runs out. There is absolutely no water (literally) and no food, so what good is a sack of maize?

 

The only economic benefit to Lodwar is a single tree. The tree has leaves that can be dried and woven into mats. But, Lodwar is several hours drive away from the nearest town, and of course nobody has cars to transport the mats to sell. So, along come SCUM, who decide to come and by the mats in exchange for food. Yes that’s right, they TRADE the mats for food, then go and sell the mats themselves and the community never sees the money. As far as SCUM is concerned, it’s their property. My question, why the hell doesn’t SCUM go to the nearest town once a month, sell the mats, and use the profits to actually help the community? The people don’t need money, they have nothing to buy or sell. What they need and want is help. They want to work together and help each other survive as a community.

 

Then consider another village called Mbeere. Let’s say SCUM works there too. This area is exactly like Lodwar, has no water at all, no food, nothing. And SCUM has worked there for several years, just dropping off food and clothes and leaving. Then one day a pastor came to visit. He decided to dig a bore hole. Suddenly there was water (who would have thought?). Then because most parents brought their children with them when they collect water, the pastor decided to build a school. So, each day, the families had a gathering to the bore hole, the fathers with the cattle, the mothers to collect water for the family, and the children to the school. 5 years later, the town has a “city centre”, namely a tiny shop, a high school and a primary school. It took a local pastor to use money out of his own pocket to make a difference, yet SCUM, despite their huge amount of money, still continue to do nothing but dump food and run.

 

Then there is Kapedo. They have a river running around the town, where the locals bathe and collect water. And there are also two underground hot water springs that fall into the river as waterfalls. So there is fresh supply of warm water every day. Kapedo also has no food or cattle due to drought. SCUM comes in and gives food and clothes, then leaves. The locals make baskets, but can only travel 3 hours to the nearest town to try and sell them. Firstly, nobody has cars to make the journey, or money to take the bus (which takes around 6 hours). Then, of course, a town in the middle of nowhere has no need for mats, there’s nobody to sell them to. So, why doesn’t SCUM make a trip to Nairobi once a month and sell them there? And why doesn’t SCUM look at Kapedo and say “wow they have a river, I wonder if we could irrigate”. Then wow, crops will grow, problem solved."

 

Rosie

 

I have been there! I stayed one night on my way to Lokichokio (I know I've spelled it wrong) which has loads of NGOs there. I was there yonks ago. Guess nothing has changed. Some NGOs are good, most are probably rubbish. In a strange way, NGOs are big business although "business" isn't really the right word, "enterprise" maybe better.

Edited December 15, 2009 by LG Gone Wild

[Murphy101]

In general I think money rarely helps as much as a post of hands. Such as the pastor in your example, so I'm not even a little surprised.

 

What's an NGO?

[Laurie4b]

Rosie, I agree. There's an organization that you and your sister might be interested in. It's called Africa Rising and you can find it on Facebook or at africarising.org.

 

Here's the description of its purpose: Africa Rising creates relationships with effective grassroots African organizations. We do not import solutions to the challenges facing Africa. Instead, we work with African organizations by helping them network with others who want to support them.

 

In other words, they search for things that Africans themselves have started up and which are working well and support those things, rather than going in with western solutions (or non-solutions.)

 

Other books you and your sister might find interesting: Creating a World without Poverty by Yunus about a new conception called social business (basically businesses that are run like businesses except their purpose is to accomplish a social benefit rather than create a profit. They are not NGO's and not charitable organizations either. It's very interesting.) White Man's Burden is another book that talks about what is and isn't effective when westerners try to help.

[tex-mex]

I have been there! I stayed one night on my way to Lokichokio which has loads of NGOs there. I was there yonks ago. Guess nothing has changed. Some NGOs are good, most are probably rubbish. In a strange way, NGOs are big business although "business" isn't really the right word, "enterprise" maybe better.

 

:iagree: And don't forget about the huge nationally known charities who tend to profit off donations instead of directing them (100%) to the indigenous people who need it most. BTDT.

[Rosie_0801]

Rosie, I agree. There's an organization that you and your sister might be interested in. It's called Africa Rising and you can find it on Facebook or at africarising.org.

 

 

I'll send it on to her. Her and her partner are beginning their own NGO (Non-Government Organisation) and are looking to build relationships with other *useful* organsiations. Actually, it's a "social business" using the terminology you provided, and they're trying to get a safari tour company off the ground at the same time so they actually have an income. They've taken a few tours already, mostly American church groups, I believe. They've just placed their first volunteer, so are really excited. The rules are kind of dumb. In order to get real, proper, fair dinkum certification as a volunteer organisation, you have to have placed five volunteers already. Naturally, most people don't want to go with an organisation that isn't certified as legit (even though we all know the certifications mean nothing) so my dear sister is advertising to everyone she remembers having met :D This first volunteer of hers was someone she used to work with. Anyway, she's working at *real* stuff, which is great, and is planning to write a book about why "SCUM" organisations suck, heheh. What a great use of her anthropology training :)

 

Rosie

[Starr]

Rosie,

 

Thanks for sharing this. Keep us posted on how things are going for her.

 

Starr

[lionfamily1999]

Any specific NGO? I just worry, because our church works actively with a number of NGOs and I donate to one particular NGO and I would hate the active ones to get a bad name, because of the poseurs out there :glare:

 

There's always someone out there for a buck :( Stinks, really. I hope your sister does well.

[Carol in Cal.]

It's called "Cause Celeb" and is by the same author that wrote "Bridget Jones' Diary" but is much more interesting and better written. I highly recommend it.

[Rosie_0801]

Any specific NGO? I just worry, because our church works actively with a number of NGOs and I donate to one particular NGO and I would hate the active ones to get a bad name, because of the poseurs out there :glare:

 

 

I don't know who she's talking about in this particular instance. The only one she's ever mentioned by name is World Vision. She tends to skirt around the issue of names in family emails because our grandmother has supported World Vision practically forever. She is of the opinion that nearly all of them are not so hot. Like someone else said in another recent thread, it's better to donate to small organisations than those large corporations. I don't think the good and useful organisations get bad names because they are so small no one hears of them. Too busy working to be blowing their own trumpets, I imagine.

 

It's called "Cause Celeb" and is by the same author that wrote "Bridget Jones' Diary" but is much more interesting and better written. I highly recommend it.

I'll check my library. It does sound like a good read. Ah, typical. The site is down. Oh well, I ought to be grateful I have a library, oughtn't I? ;)

 

Rosie

Edited December 15, 2009 by Rosie_0801

[Amber in AUS]

I think it is a huge problem with our society on a world wide level. Everyone thinks they know what is best for someone else, but no one every bothers to ask.

 

I saw a doco where some millionaires when to a bunch of african towns and built things for them to aid them. They returned a year later and most of it sat unused because they didn't ask what the people really needed. One i remember having been used was a potato storage hut.

[hornblower]

How disappointing.

 

And yet I think many NGO's do do good work. The one we support is Plan, and our foster child is in SE Kenya. In her area they've recently finished a school, a girl's latrine, bought uniforms (just plain skirts & blouses) for the girls to attend school. They sent photos of the school & our foster child in her new uniform, standing with her whole class.

 

 

I think some of the most interesting work on poverty alleviation is in the realm of micro-loans, especially to women. The Nobel peace prize a few years ago went to micro credit pioneer Muhammad Yunus. Small unsecured loans to assist people establish small commercial enterprises - buy a sewing machine, a bike, etc. It's amazing how much difference just a small amount of $ can make.... http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061013-nobel-peace.html

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

It's called "Cause Celeb" and is by the same author that wrote "Bridget Jones' Diary" but is much more interesting and better written. I highly recommend it.

 

 

I liked that book, too. It did emphasize how loads of hype produces very little help.

[lionfamily1999]

I don't know who she's talking about in this particular instance. The only one she's ever mentioned by name is World Vision. She tends to skirt around the issue of names in family emails because our grandmother has supported World Vision practically forever. She is of the opinion that nearly all of them are not so hot. Like someone else said in another recent thread, it's better to donate to small organisations than those large corporations. I don't think the good and useful organisations get bad names because they are so small no one hears of them. Too busy working to be blowing their own trumpets, I imagine.

 

Rosie

Never heard of them (thank goodness)!

 

Your second point is pretty well correct. There is one organization my church supports that I have to wonder about. They put out SO MUCH advertising that I wonder how much money they have left to actually do the stuff they do. I know they send missionaries, because they fund many of our church's missions trips, but why waste all the paper and ink?!?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think it is a huge problem with our society on a world wide level. Everyone thinks they know what is best for someone else, but no one every bothers to ask.

 

I saw a doco where some millionaires when to a bunch of african towns and built things for them to aid them. They returned a year later and most of it sat unused because they didn't ask what the people really needed. One i remember having been used was a potato storage hut.

 

I remember a talk by a Bible translator about her decades of work in Africa. She mentioned that the project that the village fathers really wanted was a good outhouse near the school. So when her short term mission helpers came in, what they built was a great latrine/outhouse where the boys and girls of the school could go to the bathroom in some cleanliness and privacy.

 

Not the star studded type project that makes the front page of the quarterly fund raising newsletter, but essential, desired and something that ultimately opened a lot of doors.