Would like like to make a positive difference in the world?
JENGA Community Development Outreach (JENGA CDO) is a charity working among the poorest of the poor in and around Mbale in Eastern Uganda. Unlike many charitable initiatives, this is one that I am happy to endorse. I personally know the founder, Robby Keen, and members of the team working in Uganda.
Trying to make a positive difference in Africa is by no means an easy task, as I know from my own experience of working in Africa since 1996. The challenges are many: Local safety and security, working harmoniously with local authorities, finding trustworthy people of integrity to work and partner with... and dealing with the ever-present threat of corruption at every level.
Then are are the more complicated factors such as:
- How do you structure a solid and sustainable project but deal with the ebb and flow of donor income?
- How do you help people without creating foreign aid dependence?
- How do you to help people without generating unrealistic expectations in communities?
- How do you help selected individuals without creating inequality and resentment within those communities?
- How do you empower people and communities to actually help themselves?
These challenges are actually more complicated than one might think and it requires a deep understanding of the local economic context, as well us a realistic understanding local customs and traditions.
JENGA CDO works in a number of ways to empower communities and you can check out their various projects here: http://jengauganda.org/projects
To make a donation to JENGA CDO, these are the relevant Australian bank details:
Account Name: JENGA CDO
BSB: 063 503
Account Number: 1032 5986
