Good Intentions Are Not Enough

Welcome

As a leading expert in the post-2004 tsunami recovery efforts in Thailand, I have seen the impact of aid from all perspectives: villagers, government officials, religious leaders, aid agency staff and directors, the United Nations, and various donors. Through these interactions I found that donors are key to improving the delivery of aid, yet they lack the knowledge necessary to make funding decisions that positively impact that delivery.

Interesting posts and articles - Oct. 15 - 21

Interesting blog posts and articles from the previous week.

Isn't it ironic

In Thailand before the influx of missionaries and other foreigners most children went around naked until puberty and after that young women wore only a sarong around their waist. In many rural villages today old women still go around with just a bra for a top. 

A Thai joke about the transition to more modest clothing goes like this; A young woman is was walking down a dirt road when a missionary yells "You're indecent, cover your breasts" frightened the young woman pulls up the bottom of her sarong to cover her bare chest, exposing her naked bottom.

Today young rural Thai women dress very modestly. If shorts are worn at all they're very long, shirts have sleeves, necklines are high. This standard of modesty meant that some of the clothing donated after the tsunami was too indecent for them to wear.

Ironic isn't it, first we import modesty standards then we import immodest clothing.

The Allure of the Quick Fix

This is an edited version of an earlier post.

"Hit the ground running"

As a Crisis Corps Volunteer (part of the US Peace Corps) I was sent back to Thailand to help with the tsunami recovery efforts. In six months time I was to; determine needs, develop a program, find funding and resources, implement the program, and ensure that it was sustainable. All of this had to be completed on time - there would be no extensions. 

Here is the press release:

"The three resource development volunteers will be working with local governments to determine where the greatest need lies and identifying resources to help the local communities. They will also put together a local staff to insure progress will continue after the Crisis Corps team departs.

How long would it take to develop a program that solves a problem in your own community?

Imagine if a stranger were sent to your community from an aid agency boasting that they were going to solve a community problem. How would your community react and how long would it take for that stranger to be successful?

Interesting articles and posts - Nov. 8 - 14

Asia: Breastfeeding more crucial in emergencies - IRIN - Looks at problems caused by donated formula after a disaster and the difficulty of stopping baby formula donations when so many actors are involved in disaster relief

Malawi: HIV drugs used to ferment local gin - AfricaNews - Reports on a practice of using HIV drugs to speed up the fermenting process of gin.

Mobile Applications Development: Observations - Build it Kenny and they will come - Lists factors to keep in mind when developing mobile applications, good advice for any aid project.

Confusion on Where Money Lent via Kiva Goes - New York Times - Looks at the recent Kiva controversy

Interesting articles and blogs - Nov. 1 - 7

A round up of interesting news articles and blog posts from the past week.

If they don't provide information in writing - don't give

The phone solicitation

I received a phone solicitation today from an organization informing me that they will be in my neighborhood next week collecting used clothes and household goods for their organization. I'm always wary of phone solicitations because often when you give to them a percentage of what you give goes to the company contracted to do the phone solicitations. If you like the organization it's always best to go directly to their website to give so that your entire donation goes to that organization.

Interesting articles and posts - Oct 24 - 31

A weekly roundup of interesting articles and posts.

Apologies for not posting recently

For those of you who follow me regularly, I apologize for not posting recently. It is likely that I will not post regularly for the next few weeks as I take care of some family matters as well as work on getting a draft version of a charity rating system up and running. Sorry for the hiatus and thanks for you support.

Interesting articles and posts - October 11 - 17

Kiva, Heifer International, the American Red Cross, and donor trust

In the debate over Kiva's misrepresentation of how their funding system works much of the discussion has focused around how honest aid agencies can and should be with donors. My argument has always been that we have to be honest and ethical about what we are doing and that it is the responsibility of aid agencies to educate donors on good aid practices. If you want to tie this to a fundraising campaign that creates a personal connection that's fine, but you have to be honest about the extent of that connection. Informal feedback from donors these last few days says much the same thing.

Thoughts on Kiva's information sharing practicies

One of my followers on twitter who both gives to Kiva and tweeted my post deceptive advertising had this response to the controversy:

"I knew that's how Kiva works. I also sponsor children via Children International and that monthly payment also goes into the big pot." "I hope nobody stops lending via Kiva, but they might want to be more up front about their practice."

Thoughts on Heifer International's information sharing practices

As Heifer International has also been brought up in this debate, most notably on Sasha Dichter's Blog, I contacted my brother for his thoughts. He's a  regular donor to Heifer and a few years back for Christmas he made donations of animals in all of our names. I asked him if he understood at the time that his money went into a communal pot and might not have been used to buy those exact animals. His response was similar to the previous response.

"I have always been well aware of Heifer’s disclaimer.  I always figured that the money would go into to a pool to be best used by the NGO, as individual donors probably don’t have the scope or necessary knowledge to know where to best donate the funds.  However, by being able to pick out something like a flock of ducks, two lambs, and a pig, you get a more tangible feel for what your donation is purchasing.  I guess it helps you feel more connected."