Empowering partners and communities toward self-reliance
Image Caption: ChildFund New Zealand’s Programme Manager Matt Fowler with local partners at the opening of the Moringa factory in Emali, Kenya in 2022.
We spoke with ChildFund New Zealand’s Programme Manager Matt Fowler for an international lens on working with community partners towards self-reliance internationally.
Philanthropy New Zealand (PNZ): Tell us about ChildFund’s approach to working with communities towards self-reliance
Matt Fowler (MF): For ChildFund New Zealand, supporting organisational strengthening and sustainability of the partners and communities we work alongside, is more than just a box ticking exercise. First and foremost, ensuring that we fully understand the organisational values and priorities of a local partner, and are directed by their identified needs and activities, is key to the initiation of any meaningful community-based activity. Local partners are the ones that provide direction, as they are connected to, and a part of the community. They will be there for the long haul, as once a projects implementation period winds down, their knowledge and connection to the community and ability to continuously support will remain for years to come.
Investing in a local organisations systems, staff and general capabilities is just as important as delivering activities or projects to achieve meaningful impact. ChildFund New Zealand has put in place what we call ‘Road Maps’ with local communities and partners around the world. These are essentially 10-year strategic plans, that have been generated from the ground up, as key inputs and insights have been sought from local government, NGOs, community groups and the communities themselves, to establish a baseline of what the key needs for a community are, and how they will be fulfilled by all stakeholder’s, ensuring accountability is held across all partners. A key element of this approach is that it articulates a timeframe for all stakeholders to work toward, with realistic expectations and an understanding of how support will change overtime as the local organisations we work with, and the communities, become stronger to be able to resource and continue the work themselves. ChildFund New Zealand has three ongoing Road Maps with partners and communities in Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Zambia, running from 2016 to 2026.
PNZ: What worked successfully? Why did it work?
MF: To ensure sustainability of any community-based activity, true community ownership and integration within existing structures is crucial. It is all well and good to install new water infrastructure, build classroom blocks or establish new technologies in an agriculture value chain, but genuine community uptake and longevity of any project comes down to an identified need being properly consulted and the community’s voice represented, both in design phases and throughout implementation. The international aid and development sector is littered with examples of well-meaning programmes from overseas quickly implementing what they see as the ‘solution’ to a community’s challenge, without properly talking and engaging with the community. This results in this infrastructure not being used efficiently or breaking down, without the technical know-how in the community to fix it or a committee having been established that no one is familiar with, rather than strengthening an existing local community structure. Ensuring a funding agency has the ability to not only support a project with technical oversight, but broader community level coordination, consultation, and analysis is key, to ensure what is being proposed is fit for purpose and relevant. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all project activities is also key to ensuring what is being implemented remains relevant throughout implementation, and if the context or community sentiment changes, the project must then also adapt.
PNZ: What has not worked? What are the learnings to take forward?
MF: A challenge within the international development sector, is the often overly long periods of engagement an international organisation may have with a community. While working within communities for years or even decades does create long term and meaningful partnerships, it can also lead to dependency and a reliance on external resourcing and expertise. As with our Road Map plans, ensuring there is a defined period of time we engage with a community and local organisation, while outlining the investment strategies that will ensure a community is able to take over the work once this external support winds down or finishes is important. Having strategies for the implementation of key activities, as well as organisational strengthening activities of local organisations in a community is key to ensuring not only the work your organisation may have been supporting with for years continues on, but that all work is built upon, increasing impact over the long term.
PNZ: Can you share insight on preparing a partner for funding coming to an end or being reduced? How to approach this?
MF: Often, small organisations around the world and in New Zealand are so focused on delivering great activities within their communities, they don’t have time for anything else. This includes identifying and mobilising resources from other areas. Grant writers or fundraisers are often specialist roles that a traditional grant may not allow for as they want to see those resources spent on direct project implementation. First and foremost, organisations wanting to grow must strategise and identify these opportunities for additional funds, as I can say, especially in New Zealand, these opportunities are out there. Having a plan is just a start, however. Self-advocating for grant funds, or maybe some smaller internal reserves, to be utilised for further grant identification and fundraising purposes is a crucial first step in growing an organisation’s ability to continue to raise funds and ultimately increase its impact.
Growing agriculture livelihood success in Kenya
ChildFund New Zealand, with the help of New Zealand supporters and through its local partner the Emali Dedicated Children’s Agency (EDCA), has worked with crop growers in Emali to help them grow and harvest Moringa and with business training to market and sell it. The EDCA has worked with the community to process Moringa and launch a moringa product range including leaf powder, oils and body scrubs, which are for sale in Kenya.
