Poverty Elimination by NGOs

Poverty Elimination by nongovernmental organizationsAssessing nongovernmental organizations performance in leanness decline is a difficult task. However, it is worth learning from separate observations conducted on NGO performance in onlyeviating s tidy sumtinessNGOs consider change magnitude the collection plate on the type of maps they tactical maneuver. In this contemporary time, NGOs atomic number 18 tre workforcedously working, and service of process governance, institutions, and the rural scurvy in the match against exiguity in sub-Saharan African, which was their traditional role during the World Wars.Although NGOs atomic number 18 appraised for their tremendous work, opposite scholars substantiate opined that they do non see their essence due to the situation that umteen name fallen below expectations. In this Chapter, however, detectives task is to review the writings of other scholarly works as it relate to NGOs roles in distress alleviation.Desai (2005) has menti stard that NGOs consider an serious role to play in supporting women, men and ho habitholds, companionship convocations, civil parliamentary law radicals and expected that they can meet the welf atomic number 18.She accounted whatsoever role and functions for NGOs, lots(prenominal) as counseling and support service, awareness breeding and advocacy, legal aid and microfinance. These function help the people to achieve their great power, achievement and knowledge, and sustain control over their give lives and finally buzz off empower and boldness. I agree with the author, because if a project like microfinance is enforced, the living standardised of people will be remedyd. This say will be seen in the next chapter.Strom quits (2002) has also noted three major functions for NGOs much(prenominal) as (service deli actually (e.g. relief, welfare, basic skills) educational readying (e.g. basic skills and a good deal searing analysis of favorable en vironments) and public policy advocacy as this is the case with NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Baccaro (2001), in his writing depicted how item NGOs with a definite mission assertments can promote the organization and potency of the inadequate, particularly scurvy women, by means of and with a combination of micro-credit, awareness-raising, training for group members which is ability embodimenting and other social services, with an aim to reduce impoverishment among societies.NGOs general aim is to alleviate indigence through activities that promote ability stimulateing and self-reliance. Langran (2002) has mentioned that NGOs through efficacy mental synthesis help to sustain company t from each oneing assist authorities in the provision of basic social amenities. NGOs are a good deal created in order to expand the capacities of people and government in that location by breaching the rift of poverty (Korten 1990).NGOs are praised for promoting confederacy self-rel iance and mandate through supporting corporation-based groups and relying on participatory processes (Korten 1990 Clark 1991 Friedmann 1992 Fowler 1993 Edwards and Hulme 1994 Salamon 1994).In Sub-Saharan Africa for pillowcase where survival for daily bread is a major hurdle, NGOs brook been seen as liberators of humanity suffering the leaven is in Sierra Leone were sixty percent of citizens survival dependent upon donors.sustainable causement, on the other hand, has emerged over the other(prenominal) few decades as an in-chief(postnominal) paradigm for poverty alleviation.As Bradshaw and Winn (2000) name noted, sustainability is rooted largely in an environmental cash advance, particularly in the industrialise countries. scarce, the goal of sustainable increase is to summon a balance mingled with three pillars social, economic and environmental of communities (Sneddon 2000).Hibbard and Tang (2004) in their study in Vietnam train noted the importance of NGOs role s in sustainable biotic familiarity development. 1 of the roles was that NGOs balance the social, economic and environmental factors in promoting sustainable development.Another important role of NGO that they discovered was decentralization of the central government which helps the topical anaesthetic anesthetic anaesthetic communities to acquire much(prenominal) power in order to make their own decisions. As in the case of Sierra Leone where civil society groups and other NGOs like MERLIN, Caritas and CRS, have succeeded in winning bills for decentralization in the wellness ministry. But, sometimes the local anaesthetic communities lack specialists to do professional work and resources that are important for the particular projects. In this situation, NGO assists local staff with draught sustainable development plans that are functional under the umbrella of a central government policy.Finally, they cogitate that poverty alleviation is process-oriented, and it requires e xtensive community participation and relies on network to share resources, knowledge and expertise. From the literatures, it could be summarized that NGOs play an important function in fighting poverty via promoting sustainable community development.Sustainable community development emphasises on a balance between environmental concerns and development objectives, turn simultaneously enhancing local social relationships.Sustainable communities meet the economic inescapably of their residents, enhance and protect the environment, and promote to a greater extent human local societies (Bridger and Luloff 1997).Through the functions of providing microfinance, initiating depicted object building and self -reliance, cessation building projects, relief services during emergencies, NGOs could bridge the gap of poverty in Sub-Saharan African. Below are the reviews of NGOs roles, functions and strategies they used to fight poverty.2.1- NGOs MICROFINANCE ROLE A schema FOR distress succ ourMicrofinance is another important sector that NGOs have fully ultilised in reaching bug out to the poor. Their roles in this sector, has immensely contri scarcelyed to alleviating poverty among the poor. The purpose of utilise microfinance to alleviate poverty is as a forget of what role microfinance can play and what impact it created on the beneficiaries. Microfinance has a truly important role to play in development according to proponents of microfinance.In the 1990s, scholars have increasingly referred to microfinance as an impressive means of poverty reduction (Rekha 1995 Cerven and Ghazanfar 1999 Pankhurst and Johnston 1999). The microfinance has long existed in Africa, save saw it decline when government completed banking institutions took over Oxaal and Baden (1997). The World Bank found, in 1998, that the poorest 48% of Bangladeshi families with admission to microcredit from Grameen Bank rose above the poverty line.In Peoples Republic of chinaware (PRC), for in stance, microfinance programs have helped lift 150 million people out of poverty since 1990 (UNHDR, 2005). Similarly in, in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia, MkNelly and Dunford (1998) Mansaray (1998-99), found that microcredit beneficiaries increased their income by $36, compared with $18 for nonclients. Clients of microfinance generally shifted from irregular, low-paid daily jobs to more secured employment in India (Simanowitz, 2003) and Bangladesh (Zaman, 2000).Otero (1999, p.10) illustrates the various ways in which microfinance, at its nucleus combats poverty. She states that microfinance creates rile to productive capital for the poor, which unitedly with human capital, addressed through education and training, and social capital, achieved through local organization building, enables people to move out of poverty (1999). By providing corporal capital to a poor person, their sense of dignity is build uped and this can help to empower the person to recruit in the eco nomy and society (Otero, 1999).The aim of microfinance according to Otero (1999) is not just close providing capital to the poor to combat poverty on an individual level, it also has a role at an institutional level. It seeks to create institutions that deliver monetary services to the poor, who are continuously ignored by the formal banking sector.Mayoux (2000) and Cheston and caravanserai (2002) have pointed out the importance of microfinance in empowerment, particularly women empowerment. Microfinance is be as efforts to improve the access to loans and to saving services for poor people (Shreiner2001). UNCDF (2001) states that studies have shown that microfinance plays key out roles in development.It is currently being promoted as a key development dodge for promoting poverty eradication and economic empowerment. It has the potential to effectively address strong poverty, the physical deprivation of goods and services and the income to attain them by granting financial serv ices to households who are not supported by the formal banking sector (Sheraton 2004).Microcredit programs show scurvy loans and savings opportunities to those who have traditionally been excluded from commercial financial services. As a development inclusion strategy, adopted by NGOs through the provision of funds to both locally established groups and government and private institutions, microfinance programs emphasize womens economic contribution as a way to increase overall financial efficiency within national economies. This is because in Sub-Saharan Africa, as whole women are said to be bread winners and care takers of their families.It should be noted that women are always at mercy regarding social misshapes . concord to Cheston and Khan (2002), one of the most popular forms of economic empowerment for women is microfinance, which provides credit for poor women who are usually excluded from formal credit institutions. This issue of gender diversity in the microfinance sec tor have been researched and debated by donor agencies, NGOs, feminists, and activists (Johnson and Rogaly 1997 Razavi 1997 Kabeer 1999 Mayoux 2001 Mahmud 2003).However, underneath these overlap concerns lie three fundamentally different approaches to microfinance financial sustainability, feminist empowerment, and poverty alleviation. All three microfinance approaches have different goals coupled with varied perspectives on how to incorporate gender into microfinance policy and programs (Mayoux 2000).The microfinance empowers women by putting capital in their hands and allowing them to earn an independent income and contribute financially to their households and communities.This economic empowerment is expected to generate increased self-esteem, respect, and other forms of empowerment for women beneficiaries.Some evidence show that microfinance would empower women in some domains such as increased participation in decision making, more equitable status of women in the family and c ommunity, increased political power and rights, and increased self-esteem (Cheston and Kuhn2002).Well-being as an output of microfinance not tho covers the economic indicators, but also other indicators such as community education, environment, recreation and accessibility to social services. It is cogitate to the quality of life (Asnarulkhadi 2002). In order to gain economic sustainability, NGOs through microfinance help the communities to reduce poverty, create jobs, and promote income generation. In the developing countries, sustainability is cerebrate more closely to issues of poverty and the gross inequalities of power and resources (Hamnett and Hassan 2003).This is due to the fact that in the Third World countries like sub-Saharan Africa, the ecological system, climate, sometimes conflicts with the socio-economic needfully of local people who depend on a local ecosystem for their survival (Nygren 2000). In contrast, in the developed countries, as Bradshaw and Winn (2000) h ave noted, more priority is given on environmental aspect of sustainable development. disrespect the importance attached to microfinance as an effective tool for poverty alleviation, except it cannot be over ruled that this sector do have galore(postnominal) problems. This has even led some scholars to doubt it usefulness, thither by suggesting that NGOs dormant need to do more to reach out to the poor. Littlefield, Murduch and Hashemi (2003), Simanowitz and Brody (2004) and the IMF (2005) have commented on the critical role of microfinance in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.Simanowitz and Brody (2004, p.1) state, Microfinance is a key strategy in reaching the MDGs and in building global financial systems that meet the needs of the most poor people. Littlefield, Murduch and Hashemi (2003) state microfinance is a critical contextual factor with strong impact on the achievements of the MDGsmicrofinance is unique among development interventions it can deliver social bene fits on an ongoing, permanent basis and on a large scale. Referring to various case studies, they show how microfinance has played a role in eradicating poverty, promoting education, ameliorate health and empowering women (2003).However, other scholars are not enthusiastic roughly the role of microfinance in development because of it lapses, and it is important to tell apart that microfinance is not a all done strategy when it comes to fighting poverty. Hulme and Mosley (1996), while acknowledging the role microfinance can have in helping to reduce poverty, concluded from their research on microfinance that most contemporary schemes are less effective than they power be (1996, p.134). They state that microfinance is not a total dissolvent for poverty-alleviation and that in some cases the poorest people have been made worse-off by microfinance.Wright (2000,p.6) states that much of the skepticism of MFIs stems from the argument that microfinance projects fail to reach the poorest , generally have a limited effect on incomedrive women into greater dependence on their husbands and fail to provide additional services desperately needed by the poor. In addition, Wright says that many development practitioners not only find microfinance inadequate, but that it actually diverts funding from more pressing or important interventions such as health and education (2000, p.6). As argued by Navajas et al (2000), there is a danger that microfinance may siphon funds from other projects that might help the poor more.They state that governments and donors should know whether the poor gain more from microfinance, than from more health care or food aid for example. Therefore, there is a need for all involved in microfinance and development to read what exactly has been the impact of microfinance in combating poverty. Considerable debate remains about the effectiveness of microfinance as a tool for directly reducing poverty, and about the characteristics of the people it bene fits (Chowdhury, Mosley and Simanowitz, 2004). Sinha (1998) argues that it is notoriously difficult to measure the impact of microfinance programmes on poverty.2.2. NGOs depicted object BUILDING ROLE A STRATEGY FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION talent building is another NGOs strategy and role that helps to bridge a gap between the haves and have not in society. Capacity building is an approach to development that builds independence. It can be A means to an end, where the purpose is for others to take on programs. Is a process, where the aptitude building strategies are routinely incarnate as an important element of effective practice (NSW Health 2001).Langran (2002) has defined capacity building as the ability of one group (NGOs) to strengthen the development abilities of another group (local communities) through education, skill training and organisational support.Capacity building is a strategy used to develop not a set of pre-determined activities. There is no single way to the build capacity of an individual or groups of individuals. Although experience tells us that there is a need to work across the key action areas, practitioners approach each situation separately to identify pre-existing capacities and develop strategies particular to a program or organization, in its time and place.Before beginning to build capacity within programs, practitioners need to identify pre-existing capacities such as skills, structures, partnerships and resources. Frankish (2003) has counted a number of dimensions for community capacity including financial capacity (resources, opportunities and knowledge), human resources (skills, motivations, confidence, and relational abilities and trust) and social resources (networks, participation structures, shared trust and bonding).UNDP (1997-2009) has introduced capacity building as the process by which individuals, groups, and organizations increase their abilities to first, perform core functions, solve problems, define and achieve ob jectives and second, understand and deal with their development needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner.NGOs, through the provision of education, skills and knowledge, develop the capacity of community towards achieving sustainable development. In fact, NGOs act as a capacity builder to help the communities to develop the resources, building awareness, motivating to participation in project and finally change the quality of communitys lives.Inger Ulleberg (2009) has supported the view that NGOs play important role through the provision of skills for the rural poor. He has maintained that through capacity building, NGOs have been able to reach the poor, and has contributed to the development of the beneficiaries through skills training, the given of technical advice, substitute of experiences, research and policy advice which is key to todays development. Through the case study of Afghanistan NGOs, it suggested that these areas of reside have yielded fruit for the int ended beneficiaries. The activities have usually strengthened the skills of individuals, as it was intended but have not always succeeded in improving the effectiveness of the ministries and other organizations where those individuals are working. This according to Kpaka (2007) considered it as a harm on the part of the implementers because of improper allocation of stratetigies and argues that they failed because of poor planning and poor implementation strategy.2.3.NGOs ROLES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT A STRATEGY FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION self-confidence is another strategy that affects sustainable community development. Effective community development sits on the foundation of self-reliance. The concept of self-reliance is strategically situated within the essence of community development and is related to other concepts like mutual-help, self-help, participation of the indigenous people and rural progress. Self-reliance encourages the necessity for peo ple to use local initiatives, their abilities and their own possessions to improve their condition. Fonchingong and Fonjong (2002) have pointed out that self-reliance is increasingly being adopted as modus operandi for community development.Therefore, to attain self-reliance, NGOs and community groups must discover their own potential and find out for ways to innovatively develop such discovered potential to use as sources of wealth for the development of the community (Ife and Tesoriero 2006). Motivating and mobilizing people to be self-reliant and to participate in development activities become an important objective of the NGOs.According to Kelly (1992), self-reliance means that the people rely on their own resources and are independent of funds sourced outside the community. Self-reliant strategy relies on the willingness and ability of the local people to depend on their own available resources and applied science which they can control and manage.A self-reliant strategy req uires the optional use of all available human, natural and technological resources (Agere 1982). Although dependence on the state maybe desirable in the short term, it should not be a long term objective, because the aim of the community development must in the end be self-reliance. Mansaray (1982) has maintained that reliance on external resources will path to the loss of autonomy and independence of the community, therefore communities should be bound to persist out autonomous programmes. This according to him, autonomous communities can flourish only in the absence of such external dependency.According to Korten (1990), the second strategy of the NGOs focuses on developing the capacities of the people to better meet their own needs through self-reliant local action. In the second generation strategy, Korten (1990) mentioned that the local inertia is the heart of problem in a village or community. There is a potential energy in a community but remains inactive because of the in ertia of tradition, isolation and lack of education.But this unwillingness on the part of the local beneficiaries can be disquieted through the intervention of an outside change agent, who supposedly are to be NGOs, whose role is to who help the community realize its potentials through education, organization, consciousness raising, small loans and the introduction of simple new technologies. It is the stress on local self-reliance, with the designing that benefits will be sustained by community self-help action beyond the period of NGO assistance (Korten 1990). Therefore, NGOs, through the strategy of self-reliance, has facilitated sustainable development of the community through its participation in the community actives, project sponsorship, supervise and evaluation processes.2.4. NGOS PEACE BUILDING ROLE A STRATEGY FOR POVERTY FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATIONNGOs roles are extended to wild pansyfulness building in Africa. The crucial role played by NGOs in the restoration of peace i n war affected zones, is one seen as important. Many African countries have witnessed war and are still going through the wound of war. Countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, Somalia and many are witnesses of NGOs intervention in peace building. From the evidence of the current conflict in Afghanistan, Richard Barajas, Rachel Howard, Andrew Miner Jeff Sartin, Karina Silver (2000), have maintained that NGOs can play peace building roles. The presence of NGOs in Afghanistan according to them have led to the restoration of fair peace as their propagation of the human rights law, and their involvement in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, is fostering cooperation among the warlords. I am in total agreement with them. The role of Peace lengthiness in Sierra Leone, for instance, justify the effectiveness of peace building NGOs through their organizational strategies which was able to bring the rebels out of the bush and negotiating between the governmen t and war factions to negotiate a peace talk rather using guns and bullets to cease war.2.5. NGOs HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE/RELIEF SERVICES ROLES FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATIONThe provision of food and non-food items during tweak periods and war time and other disasters periods, often see NGOs functions as important one. The provision of these items is short run but very significance in alleviating poverty. According to Kpaka (2007), humanitarian assistance is a fastest means to fight poverty and ensure sustainability in todays society. During emergency period, governments are unable to settle their displaced and refugee population, because of inadequacies of resources. As a result of the mar of the government, the issue of NGOs influx into a country becomes unquestionable Kpaka (2007). Conflict and other disasters that occurred in society always remaining a strong poverty bench mark. During these conflicting periods, lives, properties, and physical infrastructures, diseases, and other ha zardous issues are left as strong legacy in our society. To remedy these legacies, Humanitarian NGOs have different strategies to implement their relief programmes.Generally, the roles of NGOs are still debatable as many sees their roles as positive and others sees these roles as not proper.It has been noted that, NGO contributions in poverty reduction are limited. Edwards Hulme (19956) stated that it is difficult to find general evidence that NGOs are close to the poor. There is growing evidence that in terms of poverty reduction, NGOs do not perform as effectively as had been usually assumed by many agencies. more than specific evidence is provided by Riddell and Robinson (1995) who conducted a case study on sixteen NGOs undertaken in four countries in Asia and Africa.They found that while NGO projects reach the poor people, they tend not to reach down to the very poorest. NGO projects also tend to be small scale. The total song assisted are also small. Furthermore, it is also rare for NGO projects to be financially self sufficient. Finally, although NGOs execute a number of very grotesque projects, many of them appear to be unwilling to innovate in true areas or activities. Therefore, because of these limitations, the roles of NGOs in alleviating poverty cannot be exaggerated.2.6. CONCLUTIONThe literature established the important roles played by of NGOs in the fight against poverty through micro-finance, capacity building, self-reliance, peace building, sustainable community development, and empowerment especially womens empowerment all aiming at poverty alleviation. NGOs through the micro-finance help members of community to access jobs, income-generation and improve economic situation there by alleviating poverty from the poor. And then they would become empowered economically. NGOs developed the capacities of community such as skills, abilities, knowledge, assets and motivates the community to participate in the project to improve the quality of th eir lives. NGOs act as capacity builders that help the community to achieve the empowerment particularly individual empowerment.Since the ism of community development is independent from any outside agents, thus the community must rely on their own resources. NGOs do assist the community to discover their potentials and also mobilize community to be self-reliant. Therefore, the final endpoint of community development is the independence of the community from external agents in formulating its schedule and managing its affairs. This process involves capacity building, where people get involved in human capital training, transferring of authority from donor to recipient and receive supports from stakeholders (World Bank group 1999). When people become fully empowered, they are able to contribute toward sustainable development (Lyons et al. 2001).Therefore, NGOs through some programs and functions, such as microfinance, capacity building and self-reliance help community to be empowe red, and finally contribute towards sustainable community development.However, though many dont see a need for NGOs in the fight against poverty alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa, I potently believed that presence in black Africa is importance. Their strategies and approaches they use to fight this disease is one that should not be neglected.Having looked into all the literature NGOs, in the next chapter, researcher will be discussing the strategies adopted by some NGOs in the fight against poverty.