NGOs

If you wander down the streets of Gulu, you are bound to pass by Gulu branches of various NGOs. Years of conflict in the north have prompted such a presence. NGOs fuel this perception of Westerners (or whites) as rich and aid givers. I would say the most obvious negative of NGOs would be aid dependency. Which is paired with creating a lack of creativity and initiative. Its also hard for me to comment on NGOs as a whole generalized bunch, because I really am most familiar with Invisible Children. Let me take a minute to explain some things about IC. IC is one of three NGOs in Gulu that works with secondary schools. Many more work with primary schools. Children here have school fees to pay and many NGOs are pay school fees. IC sponsors a limited amount of students and places each of them with a mentor. IC’s schools for schools program creates infrastructure developments, such as latrines, and classrooms, with money raised for high schools in the States. The teacher exchange also falls under the schools for schools umbrella. (fyi – the other thing IC Gulu does is economic opportunities – such as MEND, previously the bracelet project, and an upcoming cotton growing program) (IC Gulu is different, though directly related to and supported by IC US the media based fundraising non-profit) A few things I like about IC: They are all about sustainability. They have exit plans for when Schools for Schools schools have reached a certain level. The Acholi really seem to have a voice and be participants in the implementation of their programs. They are critical about the work they do and are really open to questioning their work. For example, they are open and honest about things that haven’t worked well in the past .