By Rick PostmaPart 1 of this article was published in the winter issue and explained that Word & Deed should not be viewed as a funding pipeline, that we emphasize indigenous partner development, and concluded with a description of the application process which a prospective partner would need to follow. In part 2, we continue the discussion.
AMG Guatemala representatives and the board of La Palabra Christian SchoolWhat other things should prospective partners know about?
Some further questions that are considered for project proposals are:
Is the proposed project sustainable and scalable? In other words, can the community take over the project in the future? Does the project address the needs of a significant number of the needy in the area of concern, or just a few?
Is there an exit strategy? How is dependency being avoided? Projects need to provide a helping hand while not becoming a crutch for life.
Is the project making use of existing positive societal structures and traditions? If a community has a tradition where relatives take in orphans, for example, then solutions need to make use of it.
Have the local people played a pivotal role in coming up with the proposed solution? There are many “white elephants” in the developing world – buildings and projects which were put in place with the best intentions but failed to include input from the local people. A large empty fish processing plant beside a lake in Africa is but one example.
The Specific Case of Orphanages
Word & Deed’s 15 years of experience has led to some important lessons. One of them is in the area of orphanages. While we have supported a number of orphanages in the past, we have generally moved away from them as they have a number of serious challenges: 1) On a per orphan basis, they are very high cost. This means it is difficult to move this project to the local community over time. They have sustainability and dependency issues. 2) The number of children supported is quite small. 3) The environment tends to be westernized, making it difficult for orphans to re-enter their native communities when they become adults.
Instead, we have moved to community-based orphan care in a large way. In Malawi we support over 5,500 orphans this way. The orphans are raised by relatives, in most cases, who are supplemented with a little extra food and fertilizer so they can raise the orphan(s) with their own children in a natural environment. The orphans are then brought together several times a week for a nutritious meal and Bible-based teaching from an elder of the local church or by a teacher hired by the local orphan committee. Approximately 750 of the orphans receive the full program described here (this is the orphan sponsorship program – see box). Others are moved on to it over time as the capacity of the local orphan care committee is increased to handle the full program.
Sometimes an orphanage is the only answer. This can occur when the community is simply unwilling to look after its orphans. The sad reality is that in some places of the world, unwanted children are simply left out in the open to die from exposure. The child in question may be a twin and only one child is wanted by the parents (sometimes due to superstition) or the child may have some defect. In these cases, a community-based solution may simply not be an option.
Other Challenges:
The devil is a superb tactician. The Bible warns us of this. He is continually at work, “seeking whom he may devour,” often when and where we least expect it. Being a creature, he learns from his mistakes and we can expect that he is a more sophisticated threat today than he has been in the past. This is true both in North America and in the developing world – he just uses different tactics.
In the developing world, challenges include ancestral worship, witch doctor practices, animism, and fatalism (the idea that there is nothing a person can do to change his situation). The result is often syncretism, where Christian beliefs are mixed with all the others. Confusion ensues, both in the understanding of Christianity as well as in how daily life is lived out.
Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8) appears to have had ulterior motives in joining the Christian church. Sadly, there are many with the same motives who appeal for funding, often very convincingly. Reports are sent showing progress towards stated goals, but meanwhile, the funds are being siphoned off. Sometimes the employed method is obvious, at other times it is subtle. The need for close monitoring is an unfortunate reality. Both reports (written and financial) as well as project visits with interviews of the beneficiaries, and reviews of “the books” are necessary. Some are caught early on while others can slip through the net for some time. Thankfully, these kinds of partners are a small minority.
What about Government funding?
We are very reluctant to pursue government funding for several reasons.
1) Government funding usually comes with requirements that, if accepted by Word & Deed, would result in the contravention of our mission and mandate. Since we insist on the Gospel being central to each project, we are very concerned that government funding will push our organization into a secular mindset. Sadly, this has happened to many (not all) organizations which started with a solid biblical foundation. We are willing to stay relatively small, if necessary, for the sake of obedience to God’s Word.
2) Other organizations who have received government funding tell us that a full-time person is needed to act as liaison with the government. Countless forms and reports need to be sent even for relatively small projects.
3) Governments change the rules. Major changes have recently been made in the European Union that have had a drastic impact on charities there who rely on government funding. We don’t want to experience the same thing.
If we can include government funding in such a way that our mission and mandate are not contravened and where other reasonable limits are not exceeded, we will consider doing so. Our approach is to test the waters every few years to see if this can be achieved.
Much more can be said about the intricate relationship between Word & Deed and her partners. Some of these will be covered from time to time in future issues. Meanwhile, pray that Satan’s strategies will be defeated, that sinners will be converted, God’s people strengthened and His Kingdom extended. Hallelujah.
Rick Postma is the Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.
