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Declonizing development aid, episode 3:

In developing countries, NGOs located on site helped by local populations know how much their helps are.But they often have to line up behind Western humanitarian NGOs.In this area, Switzerland displays a progressive vision.

At the age of 13, Bwaita Aggrey fell by chance one day on two young Swedes, Jacob and Frida, passing through Jinja, a city in southeast Uganda located on the hillsides of Lake Victoria."They had no money to pay a guide to visit the city," recalls Bwaita.It is without hesitation that he offers them a visit to the site.The only thing he wants in return is "the guarantee of becoming friends".The phone numbers are then exchanged.

A few weeks later, Bwaita Aggrey received an SMS from Sweden.Jacob and Frida had mentioned his case to their respective friends and families then had collected money in order to perfect his education."I was so excited," said Bwaita in Swi Swissinfo in writing.ch.

Jacob was later returned to Uganda, to help Bwaita Aggrey open a bank account.Jacob then sent the following council to him by leaving: "Your future belongs to you.So it's up to you to decide how to spend the money we send you.Whether you use it for school fees or to spend it with your friends, it's your personal choice.But don't disappoint us ”.

Help via social networks

Bwaita Aggrey can be proud of the path covered today by 21 years old.He became not only in Uganda an emerging star of fashion with his own claw, but founded the platform "Youth Coffee Talk Africa" last year for young people, aimed at "making them autonomous"technology, education, entrepreneurship and entertainment.Bwaita Aggrey also encourages the latter to accomplish volunteers in their community.

The results are talking: during the containment following the health crisis, his NGO provided hygienic towels to a good thousand young girls from slums.Clothes have also been collected.On Instagram and Youtube, "Youth Coffee Talk Africa" raises young men at the port of the mask and distills advice in the event of illness.On social networks, a campaign against early pregnancies has also been organized.

"Jacob and Frida motivated me in my work and gave me confidence," he continues.Thanks to the financial discipline learned, from the age of 13 I was able to tie a budget and establish priorities with the money shipped from Sweden.»»»»

Development assistance harms local initiatives

The adventure experienced by Bwaita Aggrey shows that local initiatives can constitute a valid alternative to all the help provided by the West. Moralité: en lieu et place des «sauveurs blancs»»»» venus de l'étranger, les habitants du Sud peuvent devenir les héros de leurs propres histoires.

For the Anglo-Nigerian political scientist Faye Ekong, who spent his childhood in Ghana but today exercises the profession of consultant for companies in Kenya, this kind of initiatives carried out at a local level are complementary to more classic development aid. Mais il y a un hic: «A partir du moment où la machinerie de l'aide internationale se met en marche, toutes ces initiatives locales sont anéanties»»»», éclaire-t-elle.She compares the situation in the control of Walmart in the United States."When this supermarket opens a branch, small stores go bankrupt around.»»»»

According to her, international aid should further support the efforts undertaken at the local level instead of always launching new projects."In Africa, we note immense progress in record time via social entrepreneurship.Aboriginal people invest in their communities, know what is necessary and obtain the confidence of the populations.Which avoids a host of formalities and reports ”»»».Progress is more sustainable too.On the basis of volunteering, people are more easily responsible for projects.This is not of course the only way to grant development aid, but it is a useful complement that deserves our attention.

Switzerland allocates funds to everyone

Switzerland is the only country that respects the WTO directives in terms of fund allocations for bilateral development assistance projects.In short, any NGO in the world could normally request Swiss funds.And not just an organization with headquarters in Switzerland or the United States. Mais par exemple aussi une petite ONG comme «Youth Coffee Talk Africa»»»» en Ouganda.The practice wants governments to attribute contracts to NGOs based at home and not abroad. Ce que l'ONG Peace Direct surnomme les «habituels suspects»»»» bénéficiaires de fonds publics.In general, NGOs that feed some connections with donors.

But the Swiss method makes debate even in Switzerland.NGOs do not share the strategy currently carried out there.According to these critical voices, she would disadvantage Swiss NGOs compared to their competitors abroad.

There is no formal international commitment in favor of public tenders, in order to support development assistance projects.The Swiss Parliament in reality made this decision of its own initiative.And so far Berne is held there.Recently again, parliamentarians have rejected a motion justly giving priority to Swiss NGOs.

If he can appear embarrassing seen from Switzerland that a British NGO is awarded a contract by a Swiss mutual aid agency, financed via Swiss taxpayers money, this type of adjudication is, in theory, rather a chanceFor southern NGOs.An NGO of Colombia could thus request funds to carry out a project on site, starting from the principle that it would have more expertise than a French ....

What the figures reveal

But the granting of these contracts is accompanied by high requirements imposed on these NGOs.Regulations in terms of compliance, monitoring, reporting. «Répondre à ces demandes nécessite des capacités institutionnelles»»»», décrypte pour SWI swissinfo.CH a spokesperson for Swiss diplomacy.Too much, that's too much, considers the NGO Peace Direct.Western requirements, according to her, would be bureaucratic and based first on Western values and cogs, which devalue knowledge in the field.A way to exclude these NGOs from funding.Do they get Swiss contracts or Western agencies benefit from it first?

According to Swiss diplomacy, out of the 141 cooperation projects allocated in this way between 2017 and 2020, 80 went to Swiss providers, 44 to NGOs from the North and 17 to local providers.

An imbalance a priori appears between North and South.But if we compare these figures with those of other countries of the North, Switzerland is in good position.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has analyzed data over the 2018-2019 period.“Switzerland is third in the donors who grant their help to NGOs from developing countries. Seuls l'Union européenne et le Royaume-Uni font mieux»»»», indique un porte-parole de l'OCDE.In summary, Switzerland is today one of the countries in the world that allocate the most support to NGOs on site.

Remain, still according to the OECD, that the NGOs of these countries receive only the smallest part of the public funds intended for development.The largest portion continues to supply NGOs in donor countries.

Une question se pose: une petite ONG comme «Youth Coffee Talk Africa»»»» en Ouganda pourra-t-elle bénéficier un jour d'un financement public venu du Nord? Bwaita Aggrey n’en a cure.By the grace of digital, the whole world is today at its door.

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Declonizing Development Aid Series

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