My Diary in Kazo, Uganda: Striving

An Announcement from the Management

To all friends who have or have not worked with us,

Please do not offer any financial help to anyone who claims to be working with KICVOP, unless you have consulted the management of KICVOP. We have received several cases of our former volunteers offering financial help to youngsters who claimed to be working with us. The money was in the end never recovered and wasted for some personal gains.

Please be also aware that KICVOP will not ask for any financial help from you either through the organisation or our employees. All people who are officially qualified to work with us have been listed on our website: www.kicvop.org

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me,

Email Address: landonmeng@gmail.com

Best regards,

Landon
Programme Coordinator of KICVOP

Thursday, 22 July 2010

Striving

It's not Tuesday yet, so I have to record something else. Maybe something of greater importance.

I have started the new volunteering programme which targets volunteers work on a short-term basis. I firmly believe that the programme will bring KICVOP to a new stage. I used to think that NGOs have to act purely as NGOs-looking for fundings from other places to finance their own meaningful projects. It is true NGOs have exploited poverty and the image of poverty itself has become an infamous selling point. I am not rejecting the idea of foreign fundings which are of somewhat importance to the development of some under-developed countries. However, I prefer the idea of capitalism in a new form. Investors are not investing for gaining solely profits, they invest for a better future of the households, the communties and the country. And that is what I am going to do.

I have already started planning a new chicken factory within the community. Of course, I am the sole investor. And , of course, there is a huge risk that the business may fail. But everything is started by considering the worst situation , while working towards the best.

Economists ask a lot of 'What if...' I prefer to see the ifs in reality. Investing requires courage and I coincidentally have the blind courage. IF the business succeed, local jobs will be created; fundings will be provided for the sustainability of KICVOP; other projects can be financed by ourselves; big donors are thus more likely to donate. I cannot wait to start the plan and I know I already started. There is no 'postpone' in my dictionary( the good thing is I never brought a dictionary with me).

I visited several potential places where we could construct the factory and a established factory in another place on the way back to the centre. I talked with Robert(a board member) yesterday about his childhood and his vision on the future of KICVOP and the community. I was touched by his passion, his kindness and his broadness. We naturally agreed with each us on how we will strive towards success.

I just have the feeling that these are all the things I'm obliged to do and I enjoy doing them.