In a rich man's world

People say money makes the world go round, and I argue it is no different in development. The myriad of good intentions aside, we have to face the reality that very good, worthwhile projects are left abandoned due to lack of funds, initiatives fail, and people become disheartened all for the simple need of funding. These are the thoughts that have been sparked through the comments posted to my last blog: “A gateway to change”, where people voiced concern over the role of big organisations in comparison to development / empowerment at the local level.

It seems one of the key issues here is that of funding: while grass-root level initiatives are best, they need to get the funds from somewhere. The “inspirational” William Kamkwamba is an example of someone actively seeking funding which will help him and his family in their daily lives and to fund projects such as building windmills to create electricity. The response to Kamkwamba’s blog has been phenomenal, and he has been lucky enough to be one of those voices that does get heard, supported and yes, funded.

One person commented on Kamkwamba’s blog: “it is great to donate money directly to an African family without going through an organisation”. They praised the fact that one can see exactly where the donations have gone, and can have satisfaction in seeing results. I certainly can understand that, but I think we need to realise that Kamkwamba is the exception, not the rule. I say this because not everyone can use the outlet of the Internet due to lack of access and skills, cannot speak the vernacular – English, and for many other reasons which mean millions go unheard and unsupported.

It is so exciting when people like Kamkwamba or those of Nata Village blog about their lives, their needs, their hopes, and most wonderfully, their successes. But most obviously, these blogs are all about getting support – most importantly financial support – for their causes. Money, I say again, makes it all possible.

This is where I think big organisations have the potential to really make a difference: greater established organisations like Development Gateway Foundation have the time and resources and very importantly, the credibility to seek funding for their initiatives. This places organisations in a powerful position – one which many fail to fill properly or in the positive way they should. Yet if larger organisations, with corporate and government funding at hand, are able to filter this money down to the local initiatives that need it, then the process is working for the right reasons and in the most logical, effective manner.

Yes, the idealists out there would like to dream that every individual, community and country in Africa can embrace their own future from the outset. But the reality is they need the funding to do so. Yes, development needs to be from the bottom-up, but people need the tools with which to embrace their future – people like Kamkwamba need the money so they can build their windmills and any other innovative project they may visualise.

So lets not hasten to idealise and ignore the potential which bigger organisations possess to bring funding to the table. The extent to which organisations may succeed or fail to integrate this funding at the necessary grass-roots level may be another discussion entirely.