What do you think of when you picture a non-governmental organization (NGO)? I'm talking about the organizations that work to help poor children in Africa, help feed people in famines, or provide medical care to those suffering from global pandemics like HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria...
Who do you imagine works for those organizations, on the ground, working with villagers in the poorest of nations, teaching them the skills to lift themselves up from poverty, and move beyond subsistence farming to live more prosperous, healthier, happier lives?
Do you picture a bunch of hippie liberal kids -- girls with no makeup, guys with shaggy beards? Do you picture idealists more comfortable sitting around a circle under the shade of an Acacia tree, rather than sitting around a corporate board room?
Well, that's what I pictured, until today...
Just a bit of context -- I've lived overseas for the past couple years. My wife's job takes us to different countries, and I've had the wonderful opportunity to transform my boring corporate life into the much more interesting (though not as financially stable) life of a consultant. I work primarily building the capacity of indigenous NGOs to mobilize communities to get the training and organization necessary to work together to help those in their communities, and pool their resources to provide themselves with the resources necessary to lift themselves out of poverty.
I am currently contracted to research a particular group of projects to assess the impact.
One key detail (if anyone happens to be familiar with it) is that these projects are funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR.
This may not mean much to you, but just to give you a high-level sense, this is perhaps one of the only "accomplishments" of the Bush administration -- his championing of $15 Billion for HIV/AIDS. On the surface, it is a very impressive, and compassionate response to the epidemic. It is also controversial for more reasons than I have time to get in to.
*****
I've been spending my time talking with people from tiny "community based organizations" operating in rural villages, run entirely by unpaid volunteers, international NGOs providing training and funding to these organizations, and US Government officials.
I'm painting rather broad strokes here, but my impression overall is that a.) these community based organizations are absolutely wonderful, b.) the US Government officials are carrying a huge burden, are overworked, and struggling to make the positive side of the US funded programs overcome the potential negative implications, and c.) International NGOs are organizations that have sold their souls to the devil.
Let's start with the nice thing first.
I happen to be in a village in a country in Africa. (Sorry, I'm being vague, but I am here on a professional assignment, and don't want have any of this directly attributable to me.)
Anyway, I was visiting this organization that was founded ten year ago by a couple of kids to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. Now young adults, these are some really inspiring young people. It is amazing what they've done for their communities! Moving from teaching people about HIV/AIDS, they've moved to building little programs that help orphans, and care for people with HIV.
I sat with them in a dirty little office that really needed a paint job, in a circle, and listened as they told me with authority about their programs. One young lady -- one of the founders -- spoke with conviction about her program. Mind you, this is a culture where it's usually pretty difficult to get women -- especially young women -- to talk to you, or look you in the eye. But here was a super-confident, very capable young lady teaching me about the benefits of their work.
Next, I spoke with US government employees who managed these programs. They were enthusiastic, but clearly way overworked, and struggling to fulfill their bureaucratic duties, while ensuring that US taxpayer money was making an impact on the ground.
Later, I spoke with several different people from various International NGOs who contract directly with the US Government to oversee the programs that provide the funds to these community-based organizations.
I went in to these meetings inspired by the community workers, and sympathetic to the US govt workers...
But the international NGO employees were NOT what I expected...
I met three different people, from three different organizations. All three, in different ways, have had the idealism beaten out of them.
One just seemed to parrot the common NGO-speak to me. Everything was great. They were very happy. Even when I asked about commonly know problems, he brushed them off, and just told me everything was great.
The second seemed to be a soul-less individual, who when I asked very general questions -- did she have any thoughts about the future of childrens programs? Any recommendations? Anything? She looked like Sarah Palin during the Katie Couric interview... "No, I can't think of anything."
You are telling me, that you've dedicated your life to this, you left the US to live here, and you have no thoughts or ideas?
Finally, the last guy, was ready to chop his arm off for more funding. I gave him scenarios for funding, and he was open to any of them. I asked him what he preferred, and he said what he preferred, but basically, he preferred all of them equally.
Now, an objective reader might wonder if I was being confrontational, or interviewed them in such a way that made them defensive... Well, I don't think so, but who knows? I have a lot more interviews, so I guess I'll see if it's a pattern. I went out of my way to explain the purpose, and try to let them know that what they said would help inform about the future of these projects (i.e. could help them increase the chance of getting funded.)
Most of us imagine these international organizations as benevolent, creative organizations that work their hearts out to help people. I think that's what they were. But in the brutal world of big funding, they've lost their vision, their souls, in the mad dash to grab more cash.
I wonder why this is. And part of me blames PEPFAR. Not that I oppose the program as a whole, but it's emphasis on reaching huge number of people rapidly, with completely unsustainable programs, has forced the idealists who once dreamed of this level of funding to make a choice. Either they grab the funding, and give up their ideals to provide careful, sustainable programs to the needy, or pass the funding, and basically become irrelevant...
It's an ugly choice.
If you walked in and saw this, what would you think? Everyone supports their tax money going to HIV/AIDS programs, and helping the worlds most impoverished children... If you saw the community organization, you'd tear up and urge that we give them more support. If you saw the US government worker, you'd thank them, pat them on the back, and encourage them to keep up the good work. But if you saw the blank-faced, robotic NGO workers, what would you think?
I think of the community organization that I visited. I told them that Barack Obama's first job was a community organizer, and they all were proud. I want to continue supporting them.
In order to really support them, we don't need to dump more tax money into these countries. Rather, we need to support these NGOs and take the handcuffs off these dedicated professionals, and let them do their work.
This is a complicated topic, and one that maybe I'll write about in more detail, if people seem interested. But, our major way of providing help to people around the world is through these organizations. But we've shoved huge amounts of cash rapidly through a over-worked US government staff, with these massively demanding reporting requirements, that constrain the highly educated and experienced professionals in the field, and prevent them from doing their best work. Instead, they are forced to either sell their soul, and submit, just to have a little impact, or give up altogether.
As Barack Obama, Community Organizer In Chief, takes office, I hope we can have a robust discussion about how we help those around the world. People in villages are happy to receive help, but along the way I feel like we are running the best and brightest -- both in the US Government and in the NGOs -- into the ground. There is a better way to help our sisters and brother who are suffering around the world. Let's think beyond numbers and targets, and think about how we can use our talents and skills to help our neighbors around the world that truly represents our ideals as Americans...
Anyway, if there is any response to this post, I'm glad to host a more detailed discussion about the reality of US foreign aid, and how it carries out on the ground.
But to my colleagues in the NGO world, I urge you to stand up now, and reach back in to your hearts and don't be afraid to fight for what you believe in! There was a hugely unsympathetic administration that was uninterested in your work, and just wanted to make a big PR splash. It's your time now to stand up and make your voice heard about what is and is not working with US foreign aid. Please join me in trying to make this work better for the villagers, and be something that all Americans can be proud of!