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Are foreign aid projects a failure?

“Although, there are many responsible and impactful NGOs out there, who provide and invaluable service to the most vulnerable people in the world. Some others knowingly or not, tarnish with scandal, false claims and corruption the honorable mission entrusted to them.”

On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, stroke Haiti with devastating results. Disease, destruction, hunger and chaos spread like wildfire. The poorest country in the Americas was now in ruins, intensifying the already critical situation of the population.

Few weeks later, the international community organized to assist the victims, and since, Port-au-Prince has hosted the largest number of NGOs in the world.

Until now, independent donors and nations from all over the world have spent more than 14 billion dollars supporting the NGO work in Haiti. Although their emphasis have shifted since,  from emergency relief to log-term reconstruction projects, almost 10 years later, there are still Haitians living in displacement camps or at slums with no running water, electricity nor proper sewage. Local food production is lower than before the earthquake and infrastructure is still damage and precarious in many portions of the city.

Despite all international community efforts, the NGO work performed in Haiti since the earthquake has not been free of controversy, false claims and scandal. Although we could not blame NGOs and aid agencies for all problems and chronic poverty endemic to Haiti, in general, NGO performance during almost ten years of intervention has been disappointing, bad enough to be shameful for all the institutions involved and an important topic for further review, investigation and discussion.

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Although foreign aid at a nation level is more about strategy and rational calculation than kindness and altruism. It does not mean NGOs responsible to distribute these funds, have no accountability to make a positive impact in the places they work.

While, I have not had the opportunity to work in Haiti and I have only work for responsible and reputable institutions and projects, my NGO work experience has allowed me to witness how foreign aid economy works, and realize that sometimes it is not necessarily responsible, coherent and committed to the beneficiaries as it’s supposed to be.

I have created a list of the main mistakes, in my opinion international foreign aid projects usually make, to guide well intention NGOs, companies, celebrities and regular people when venturing in the difficult task of helping others.

Dumping:

A significant portion of the international help comes to poor countries as massive shipments of goods and food supply. Although, these items could make a huge difference during emergencies and natural disasters. If the shipments continue for too long, they inevitably distort local economy by annihilating local farmers, producers and manufactures, creating unsustainable dependency to free products. No local supplier could ever compete with something that it is already free. Until today, free food shipments arrive periodically to Haiti and local farmers are no longer in business. Local dependency to charity food is now chronic. Interestingly, Rwanda has recently become the first African country to reject and forbidden donated used and new clothes shipments, once they assessed the damage they produce to their economy.

Foreign technology:

It is very common to find abandoned donated equipment all over Africa. It goes from food processing/harvesting, electric generators, solar power units, vehicles, water purifying/pump systems, heavy machinery, etc. Everything starts when a well intention donor ships equipment to some rural area in Africa, once the novelty fades away and maintenance/operation relies on local people combined with a rough environment. It is just a question of time until something fails and the equipment becomes permanently inoperative. The most successful technology to adopt in these areas is always the one that has a complexity level proportional to available technical capacity and skill. In other words, if local people cannot maintain it or repair it, please do not bring it.

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Addiction to drama:

Unfortunately, all NGO projects depend on donations to come to fruition, for this reason most of the funds and efforts at an NGO are concentrated into marketing. Some NGOs spend more than two thirds of their income trying to attract new funding. Although, everybody in foreign aid industry knows that the only way to help an entire nation like Haiti to get back onto their feet is by supporting local entrepreneurs and farmers, by strengthening value and supply chains, with training plans and financial tools, that would eventually restore the economy, national dignity, job’s supply and food independence. Very few NGOs chose to follow this path, since helping the most privilege people in the region has never been popular nor cinematic or dramatic enough, to publish into their social media accounts. While other activities like distributing food to the hungry, although inconsequential. It has the necessary emotional load required to attract new funding and investors.

Toxic help:

Emergencies are always temporary, and any help during a catastrophe is welcome. However, many NGOs do not have a project end date, and consequently struggle for their subsistence once the emergency is over. At this point, they must show up to their investors and potential donors, they are still relevant and impactful, even when they no longer are. Some come to an extend to generate dependency by distributing free food, medicine, household items or fertilizers to people in order to hook them into an endless dependency loop that would keep them poor and NGOs relevant and necessary.

Altruism vs self-interest:

Few years ago, I remember a campaign 50 cent (the rapper) published in social media where he would be giving free food to kids in Somalia in exchange for Facebook likes, (https://africasacountry.com/2012/02/50-cent-in-somalia). At first, this campaign looked as a genuine manifestation of altruism, however after a short scrutiny. It is clear this was just a marketing stunt to attract attention to himself by using extortion over generous and kind people.  Since then, I see this type of campaign strategy all over the place. People who collect money to pursue some sort of personal ambition by using an altruistic cause as a way to get people’s attention. From breast cancer awareness, aids research to feeding the hungry.  You name it.

 

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