Top-down
development usually doesn't reach the people most in need. I saw that in
Ngunya, a small village
I worked with in western Kenya
for three weeks (see journal entries). There I saw, to my sadness, what doesn't happen, when a
bureaucracy prevents support from getting into the peoples' hands.
Most development money is filtered through multiple layers, and is
siphoned off before it actually does much good. Rural areas rarely see
any "development aid" and continue to live at $1/day.
My husband and I are trying to develop a more direct approach to
development, using
the Web. The goal,
essentially, is to find a way to efficiently enable folks in the West
to directly support reasonably vetted small CBOs (Community Based
Organizations) in rural Africa, and see the results.
This "microdevelopment" model aims for
projects that are in the $100 to $500 range, but which could
dramatically improve a community. This system needs to be utterly
transparent
financially, and
needs to ensure that the groups report back quarterly (or more
frequently) on progress, via a blog.
We are currently working with (and through) two organizations in western
Kenya: Home International Voluntary
Services (of Nairobi, Kenya) and West Development Group
(of Kisumu, Kenya). Our
current focus is to raise money for projects and groups who we know
from personal
experience are trustworthy and focused on community development.
We will work out from there.
So far, we have personally funded a dozen small projects, and funded (with
the help of our friends' donations) two community
projects, and just recently opened an online storefront to sell the baskets
produced by the Uyembi Women's Group.
Current unfunded projects:
| West Development Group |
West Rural development group is a non-profit making organisation
working in the rural setting of western Kenya. It was founded in the
year 2001 with an aim of alleviating poverty within the communities of
western Kenya.
Nyanza province in western Kenya records the highest level of poverty
and HIV/Aids infection rates. West rural development programme is
piloting a comprehensive awareness programme within the Division of
Ugunja in Siaya District Nyanza province.
|
West Rural development group is a non-profit making organisation
working in the rural setting of western Kenya. It was founded in 2001
and has been educating and improving communities of
western Kenya.
Nyanza province in western Kenya records the highest level of poverty
and HIV/Aids infection rates. West rural development programme is
piloting a comprehensive awareness programme within the Division of
Ugunja in Siaya District Nyanza province.
Government funding for this project has been summarily
redirected.
|
Objectives:
To equip the community with appropriate knowledge and skills
to care for the chronically ill HIV/Aids patients at home as well as
preventive measures for HIV/Aids;
To establish and strengthen support systems that will assist
those infected and affected by HIV/Aids;
To intensify awareness and HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted
disease behaviour change in regards to HIV/Aids and promote condoms
use;
To strengthen the capacity of the programme and community to
undertake HBC and sexual reproductive health within local communities.
|
Donate now:
Note that recipient is mjensen* |
| Uyumbi Women's Group |
Activities: Increasing
handcrafts to fight poverty within the group; Self-help and improved
standard of living; farming to increase income. |
Goals: a) Marketing expansion [for handcrafted] products
b) Additional development of product variety
c) Financial support for supplies
d) Knowledge/training for composting and fertilizing
e) 400 ksh for certification
|
Possible Support:
a) 400 ksh (about $6) for certification [necessary to run business]
b) Sponsor of trainer for farming
c) Website for handcraft sales in US/Germany/Japan
d) Other distribution and promotion activities
e) Other financial support
|
Donate now:
Note that recipient is mjensen* |
Ngunya Dago Group |
Activities: Maintenance and management of borehole in area; joint land
management; orphan support and children's group [17 handicapped children are being cared for by
women]
|
more
members trained for pump maintenance; [funds for expanding the
assistance of the handicapped]
|
|
Donate now:
Note that recipient is mjensen*
|
We intend to be fully transparent -- to blog about the process, provide the costs and
benefits, and provide (eventually) evidence of the positive benefits of this
enterprise.
If possible, we would prefer to become a 501-3(c) or another nonprofit, but for
now, you'll just have to trust us to use the funds appropriately, and
watch what is going on.
Person to person, community to community -- this is the way we intend to make a
difference.
We are not yet incorporated, nor
501c3-compliant. We are using Michael's existing Paypal account as the
recipient of donations, and so the Paypal form identifies the
recipient by his email address. Donations are not tax deductable.
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