Local solutions take root as intl aid drops

With international aid declining, community-based organizations in Africa are increasingly turning to local resource mobilization to sustain development and conservation efforts.

Elizaphan Ogechi, executive director of Nguzo Africa, an environmental conservation foundation based in Kenya's Narok County, said external funding has traditionally been secured through proposal writing, a system entrenched since colonial times.

"Unfortunately, with the US and the EU cutting back, we are now at the mercy of ourselves. It's either we take action or we sink," he said.

To foster sustainability, his foundation is working to change the community's mindset, encouraging people to finance their own development.

This approach emphasizes generating ideas, pooling skills, utilizing local resources, and becoming champions of positive change.

Nguzo Africa has been organizing an annual marathon to raise funds for tree adoption and the creation of mini-forests.

"We are grateful for the support from the Kenya Community Development Foundation and I$M Foundation. However, we want to fully own the process so that when external funding stops, we can continue establishing mini-forests in schools, streets and farms," Ogechi said.

He noted however, that changing attitudes toward contributing to what is often seen as government responsibility is not easy.

"It requires transparency and trust. When you promise trees and deliver, communities contribute land, water the trees, and take care of them, taking full ownership," Ogechi added.

Sarah Martha, executive director of Dhamira Moja Community Foundation based in Kenya's Busia County, shared similar experiences. She said that in the past, residents demanded allowances to attend sensitization meetings on disaster management.

"Today, when we call them, they come willingly and instead of asking for allowance, they contribute, because they have taken ownership of the project," she said.

To strengthen local resource mobilization, the organization adopted various simple fundraising programs designed to avoid burdening communities while fostering ownership.

Thanks to strong community structures for disaster management, such as clearing drainages and bushes ahead of heavy rains, flooding incidents in the Budalangi Constituency, an area most prone to floods, have reduced significantly.

In Kisumu, Epillose Musimbi, executive director of Youth on the Move, described how her organization, which empowers young people with epilepsy and other neurological disorders, was revived through local resource mobilization after funders withdrew.

She said the beneficiaries came together to mobilize resources, both to support others and to prevent the community from reverting to past misconceptions about epilepsy.

The organization introduced tin donations, encouraging seminar attendees to donate a small portion of their transport allowance to support others.

They also printed and distributed T-shirts to raise awareness about epilepsy and seek community support, and partnered with Young Men's Christian Association, a global movement focused on youth development, to use their football field to spread the message on epilepsy.

Additionally, a donation of photography and videography equipment helped them to share their story online. "Within three months, we had raised $4,330," Musimbi said.

Cliff Ochieng, chief executive officer of the Transform Empowerment for Action Initiative, an organization promoting inclusive and sustainable development, said his organization has engaged Nyando residents, another flood-prone community, in social audits of emergency response.

"As a result, we now have a disaster management policy in place, along with strong community participation," he said.

Ochieng added that when communities are able to prioritize, plan, implement, and follow through with innovative solutions on their own; they become truly resilient and exemplify community-led development.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn