Page 363 - Volume 2_CHANGES_merged_with links

m̩ 'zuŋ u memories of NGO in Africa
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walk softly, go quietly and you will see...

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The ‘do-gooder’ m'zuŋ u zooming across that lake to build a school could have / would have
achieved so much more if they had gone to the local community and taken the time to tease
out of the local Africans their long-term hopes for their community. And to turn those hopes

into distinct stages. And then to help the Africans build their own buildings. (For heaven’s sake,

does that really need spelling out!) and as each stage is completed, help to give the locals the
feeling that the next development stage is not that far away, not that difficult, that they can get

there...

It's about the Africans being helped to take charge of their own lives. It mustn't become
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m̩
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about the m'zuŋ u. That changes nothing. And of course when 'zuŋ u do the building it

serves to reinforce a number of unhelpful imagery...dependency on the m'zuŋɡu, the
helplessness of the African.
When those young African children go to school, which would matter more. That it is a
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m̩
school built by their own African families or that it was built by the 'zuŋ u ...and "aren't we
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shouldn't we be so grateful to those wonderful, wonderful, really wonderful m'zuŋ u. Where
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m̩
would we Africans be without the 'zuŋ u!!!“
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All over Africa large and small NGO, irrespective of size, act in unregulated ways. And the UK

takes no responsibility for the activities of its citizens. And it so easily could. But as usual,
there is an absence of leadership from DfID/FCDO.

Decades ago, a UK sitcom was titled 'never mind the quality, feel the width'. It's a fitting

description of UK ODA at this time. Aid measured and boasted off by the amount of Aid, by
the Aid budget's proportion of UK GDP.

So much boasting. So much to be ashamed of.

***** ***** *****