A Death in Kenya

Juliet Karmari's mother died unexpectedly last week in Ivola, a small village near Kakamega.  Her dad has been terminally ill, so it's really unfortunate that her mom passed away.  Juliet has been a member of our Just One Person family for the last 3 years and graduated from Kamoisi High School in December 2010.


During the last 5 years,  I've learned that death is a constant companion in most African countries.  In Kenya, the "average life span" is about 60.  But so many people die of common things before then....diabetes, childbirth, malaria, AIDS, malnutrition, and tuberculosis just to name a few.

Personally, at age 56, I've attended perhaps 5 funerals.  But for people living in Kenya, it is common to attend 5 funerals a month. It's evident how frequent death is when you see coffins displayed for sale along the roads. 

Most of the funeral activities take place at the family's house.  Usually, the deceased person is displayed in a coffin in the family's main room.  Relatives from all over, neighbors, friends and acquaintances come to visit and honor the deceased days before the funeral takes place.

A couple of years ago, I attended a visitation with a group of women who were the widow's friends.  The women brought sympathy cards and, when their turn came, the group sang several songs to console the woman.  For me, one of the most unexpected events during the visit was that each and every person who came gave a monetary donation to the deceased person's family. 

Tradition in Kenya dictates that the family provide lodging and food to all visitors who travel to attend the funeral.  As you can imagine, this is a difficult task for a family who is grieving, let alone an impossible financial responsibility. As a consequence, no matter how poor and short on cash, each visitor gives some amount of money. In essence, with so many funerals taking place, there is a kind of pot of funds that moves from one family to another as deaths occur.

While the event was sorrowful,  I saw that funeral customs are another powerful example of the commitment to being part of a community that makes life feel rich in rural Kenya, even though people have few material possessions.

Thanks to our donors, we were able to be a small part of that community by contributing  to the funeral fund for Juliet and her family.

Musings on Haiti and Non Profits

Last night on PBS, I watched a documentary about rebuilding Haiti after the earthquake. The devastating earthquake was the catalyst for bringing poverty stricken developing countries and the issue of foreign aid into the limelight once again. 

The Haiti documentary compelled me to consider my own participation in international development and to rethink the roles of NGOs(nongovernmental organizations) in developing countries.  It's an issue that I wrestle with frequently and I never really arrive at an answer that leaves me feeling comfortable or resolved.

A Little Background

Robert Perito of the United States Institute of Peace has called  Haiti "The Republic of NGOs". There are about 3,000 NGOs currently working in Haiti. However, Haiti isn't alone in its abundance of aid agencies. It was estimated that in the year 2000, there were 5,900 NGOs operating just in Africa....

For most people, foreign aid brings to mind either the UN or organizations operating as charities. However, there are a growing number of independent NGOs focusing on sustainable international development as an alternative to charity. What's the difference?  In general, a charity's mission is to ensure people are fed, housed and receiving medical care at no cost to the beneficiary.  Sustainable development, on the other hand, operates on the premise that developing countries need a strong economy that provides its citizens with jobs and the resources to buy those things for themselves.

What's the Issue?

My own internal conflict is fueled by the question of whether foreign based NGOs are helping or hurting the development of a country.  Are charitable programs that provide free services helping in the "right" way?  In  the case of natural catastrophes like Haiti's earthquake or the Asian tsunami, emergency food and medical care are unquestionably essential for saving lives.  But in the absence of a disaster, food and medical care are consumable goods that have to be replenished time and time again. 

As a response to this self perpetuating cycle of foreign aid, during the past decade, more NGOs have shifted their focus to investing in a country's private business sector with the belief that more jobs and more money circulating in the economy will provide the means for people to make and buy those items for themselves.   

Both models of are derived from heartfelt good intentions to help "less fortunate countries".  But like a parent who does everything for a child, is the unspoken message that the child isn't capable of doing for him or herself?

As the the founder of an NGO working in Kenya, these are the questions I ask myself;  Does the mission of our program reflect the needs of the community?  Is it relevant and working in harmony with the Kenyan culture?  Are we unconsciously implying that outsiders have better solutions to their problems? 

In the end, I'm left wonder.  Is it better to try in a mindful way to help those in need in developing countries? Or should we get out of the way and let developing nations find their own way forward? 

Further Reading:  White Man's Burden by William Easterly.