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Letter to
the Editor: Fund NGOs, do not tell stories! |
While it is true that NGO
Projects are not sustainable, it cannot be argued honestly, fairly
and convincingly that government is doing well in sustainability.
Madam, editor, I read with interest your article with the title “Do
Donors and NGOs speak the same language – Donors and their changing
paradigms”. I wish to share my views with sole purpose of keeping
the fire on, on this important issue. First Ntate Atema, a former
NGO activist is correct to put recognize development paradigm shift
as a critical factor in NGO funding. The programmes that are viewed
are detached or irrelevant to the contemporary development issues
are less likely to secure funding. So as he urges it is imperative
that NGOs are well and strategically positioned to be relevant in
the current development trends. Secondly Ntate Atema looks at NGOs
as weak in terms of level of education of people working for them
and he diagnoses that as one of the reasons why their input or at
least credibility to meaningfully engage in policy analysis and
debates is highly compromised in Government circles. May be he is
closer to what may be termed a preliminary stage in understanding
the situation of NGOs in Lesotho and of course in Africa as he put
it. Thirdly Ntate Atema calls on NGOs to capitalize on their areas
as expertise in development. `M`e Kirsten Roettcher agrees with
Ntate Atema that NGOs have a significant role to play in Local
Government. In fact both DCI and GTZ have contributed significantly
in local governance in this country. Remember, the contribution DCI
made to Districts AIDS Task team? GTZ is helping ministry of Local
Government in decentralization.
It is my humble, submission that what has been said in the article I
am responding to is a contradiction in terms. We all know major
development paradigm shifts; modernization which wanted our
countries to follow European development path. This approach is
responsible to projects which thrived but later collapsed when
handed over to Africans- why? Because the support they enjoyed when
headed by expatriates was withdrawn when they were handed over to
the nationals. Throughout the decades; lost development decade,
alternative approaches and up to the current comprehensive
development approaches taking all development players on board, NGOs
have been blamed by governments simple because they provided an
alternative voice and views. So the “changes” Ntate Atema is talking
about are those towards open society, those towards sharing,
enabling all to play role in development.
I cannot be told convincingly so that government projects are
sustainable. The question of sustainability can be achieved when all
parties work together, so fund NGOs so that their contribution
becomes meaningful.
Well, education level in NGOs may be disturbing but Governments
attitudes are not so much on education. In Lesotho Civil Society was
once led by highly educated people but the reaction of government
officials was surprising. Perhaps I should admit that currently NGOs
may not have very good people, but there is still good caliber NGOs,
so undermining their intellectual capacity by government may be a
flaw. But what I want to pick up is, why do NGOs lose intellectuals?
Because donors refuse to fund good packages, yet the very same
donors and government recruit from NGOs. So do not take them away
simply because you have resources and boast later that NGOs have
little education. Give them the same good packages you attract them
with, while serving for NGOs.
Finally, I wish to say it is surprising that these two organizations
realize importance of NGOs in Local Government. So many NGOs
including LCN have requested assistance from GTZ in the pre-local
government elections but that has been obstructed by the deliberate
effort of ministry of local government to curtail NGO role. NGOs
were told that proposals must be endorsed by the ministry before
approval and none were endorsed. Are we expected to believe that it
is a wise move to channel funds through government? Will government
behave any different towards NGOs?
Perhaps, it should be indicated that partnership between government
and NGOs is a “can’t do without”. It must be encouraged by all
including donors by balancing their criteria and conditions for
funding. It is inappropriate, I repeat, to channel funds to
government and forget about NGOs. It is inappropriate for donors to
attach strings to funding, strings which make it impossible for NGOs
to do what they want and feel is needed. Just by the way of example,
Development for Peace Education proposed to empower women candidates
towards local government elections, but no donor wanted to come in.
Again DPE wants to empower women councilors to be effective in
charging political and social economic position of women in our
society. Will they fund it? Or will they subject DPE to unfair and
unscrupulous judgements of the officials? Some ministers as
indicated in LCN annual report, are eager to hijack NGO agendas. Is
channeling funding through government killing NGOs? Fund NGOs and
encourage genuine partnership in development. |
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