Wakonye Kenwa Part 2
After one of the first meetings of our farmers co-op, several members asked me accusingly, where was the bottled water?
Our group Wakonye Kenwa asked the local football club, what community problems do you care about, what needs change? They drafted a list for us: new uniforms, boots, and a new football.
Another village savings group asked us, are you bringing us a loan? Some chickens? No? Well then don’t waste our time with questions about ‘community issues’
This kind of thinking is the source of ‘Wakonye Kenwa’s deepest struggles. For years and years during the war, communities packed into squalid, cramped ‘camps’ relied on aid. In the final years and aftermath of war, in flooded the international aid groups, and up sprouted a hoard of community groups feeding on foreign funds. If you attend one of their workshops or trainings on ‘peace building’ or ‘trauma healing,’ you’ll get bottled water. In fact, you will get paid a ‘sitting fee’ to attend, because they need to prove a good turn out to please their donors. If there is big NGO coming nearby, you should go because they will distribute blankets, clothes or seeds. If you join a community group, chances are you will get some goats to rear. Or pigs. If you impress the right people maybe you will get a lucrative foreign-funded NGO worker salary.
No doubt, many lives were changed. But it has also left a disease.
This morning I discussed with two core members in our group, why is it so hard to get a good turn out? Why is it such a struggle to engage people? Their answer of course- people have been taught to expect immediate, personal gain:
“When USAID comes to distribute mosquito nets, there will be hundreds of people. They will get their net, and go home happy. If we are successful, our community water meetings will result in safe drinking water for everyone. Kids won’t get sick, and we won’t have to wait for hours and hours to collect water. But people won’t leave our meeting with something new in their hands. That’s why we didn’t get the numbers we hoped for.”
They could see I was frustrated. They could see I was disappointed. He continued:
“This is new here. Let’s work with the people who come. We’ll get this water. Then slowly slowly others will see. God is there.”
Ugandapanda 
Be encouraged, “God is there”.
Completely understandable from the community perspective, as this is their norm. You and Tessa are doing things differently and slowly the people will understand that the gifts you give aren’t all tangible. Be patient, it will change.
Well said guys! Loving the step-by-step walking us through your community group process. I think I might reblog this (if that’s ok …) Be encouraged, you guys rock! xxx
Thanks for the encouragement guys. If I’m able to plagiarise your blog without even reblogging it, you should really be able to legitimitely reblog ours. By the way Jodie Dan sent us a really nice e-mail today 😉 😉 ;).
Reblogged this on Dan and Jodes… in Gulu, Uganda and commented:
A dear friend of mine in Gulu wrote this blog today – very similar to my Gulu Unplugged series. It helps us all to understand life and frustrations behind the scenes and how things are so much more complicated than what they seem! Pray for Tess and her community work in Gulu 🙂
How disappointing that attitude is for you. Instant gratification is what the locals have come to expect from Aid givers. Your long term plan for providing clean water has no visible bonus immediately. We’ll pray for community support and enthusiasm for your projects – and for patience and perseverance for you, Tessa & Nick. May God encourage you both. love Rose
Thanks for the support Rose 🙂
I have to say… I now have “No woman, no cry” stuck in my head, just with new lyrics… I’ll drive home today thinking about the issues you’re facing as I contemplate these new lyrics, “No money, no goats.”
That’s amazing John, Phoebe, Tessa and I are all singing it together 😀
Thanks forr sharing ylur thnoughts on top. Regards
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