Philanthropy, Global Poverty, and World Class: Founding Member Sandy Lipson's Take on Jonathan Lewis's Presentation at the NEID Conference

Since becoming a member of World Class at its inception, I have retired from a corporate career and focused my energies in the non-profit/social enterprise space. My approach has been to study the space, building my knowledge and understanding of the issues. Along the way I’ve also developed a network and gained hands-on experience through what is termed “engaged philanthropy”.

As a result, I’m now on the mailing lists of several pertinent organizations that sponsor seminars and have meetings in the Boston area, where I live. One is New England International Donors [NEID], which is an affinity group for donors, grant makers, and social investors who give internationally. [See http://www.neidonors.org/ .] I attend NEID events to learn more about what others are doing to alleviate poverty and its effects around the globe, and then share that information with World Class.

The most recent discussion, “Collaborative Challenges: Confronting Poverty”, was presented by Jonathan Lewis. Jonathan is the founder/CEO of the Opportunity Collaboration and founder/Chair of MicroCredit Enterprises. You can learn more about him at http://www.ionpoverty.com/JonathanLewis_Bio.pdf and by reading his posts on the Huffington Post or here: http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/i-on-poverty .
Jonathan started by reminding us of the difference between our market in the U.S. and those in poverty-stricken countries:

OUR MARKET:

The market (buyers and sellers) set prices.

Government sets policies for transparency.

There are private and public goods and services.

Survival of the fittest is driven by creativity.

OVERSEAS MARKET:

Capital is scarce, expensive, and tightly controlled.

The poor are powerless.

Only the private sector is a provider.

Only one economic opportunity exists.


He then presented his premise that it’s time for philanthropists to develop a sense of urgency and practical purpose about ending global poverty – and that organizational collaboration is an important approach. To be effective:

-We should be informed and possess accurate and pertinent statistics on global poverty and about our own area of focus.

-Because the causes of poverty are complex [as World Class has discovered in our work in Ghana], multi-disciplinary solutions are required to end it, so collaboration is required. We should think about the philanthropic community of which we’re a part and consider whether there might be productive alliances we should/could form.

-To know if we’re doing the right things and making progress, we need clear and measurable standards of performance.

Jonathan has developed a list of his rules for organizations engaged in efforts to alleviate poverty:

1. Check your ego at the door. This isn’t about you. It’s about delivering results for the communities you serve.
2. Partner with local programs and leaders -- work with people who know more than you do.
3. Support long-term solutions. You can’t finance your way to economic justice. The poor must be empowered. You’re upending the status quo, which takes time.
4. Results, not ideologies, count. A focus on outcomes is more important that a focus on methods.

And then he jumped into what he termed “the deafening debate” about scale. Seemingly contradicting his point about the importance of collaboration and alliances, even advising us not to contemplate starting yet another nonprofit to address global poverty, he said, “It’s not about scale, it’s about impact” – a paradox I can embrace.

Here are my personal thoughts on the topic:

While I understand that there are $100 billion problems in the world that won’t be solved by dispersed small donations to millions of small organizations *, there can be real value in contributing to efforts of the size and structure of World Class. For me, the short and visible distance between my bank account and the flowing of fresh water in Doblo Gonno makes the decision to give via this small giving circle feel just right. I find added benefit in working in concert with classmates to provide a woman named Dianah Animah with a loan to grow her second-hand clothing business; and to receive, for my birthday, the gifts of donations from friends and family to fund the building of latrines in a place called Doblo Gonno.

So, while I appreciate the views of Jonathan and others – and can even advocate for those views in the absence of sufficient flow of public money to end poverty and other big problems – I’m satisfied with the opportunity that I find in a giving circle membership; and as long as it continues to produce measurable outcomes, I see an important place for World Class in the front lines of the fight.


* See Billions of Drops in Millions of Buckets: Why Philanthropy Doesn’t Advance Social Progress by Steve Goldberg for more on this proposition.

Additional note: If you want to do a deep dive into the issues surrounding global poverty, see http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/tfoneinterim.pdf.

Improvements to the Water System at the Doblo Gonno Community School

The well we drilled for the school at Doblo Gonno had difficulty meeting the demand upon it. World Class decided to give the school control over the well by installing an electric pump run from the school. Water is pumped to an elevated poly tank at intervals and the draw then is from the tank, giving the well opportunity to recover. Area residents who used the well are provided certain hours of access to water determined by the school. The system is working well thus far.

Installation of an electric pump required the construction of a new well housing. The mason is working on it here.

Submersible pump and assorted equipment.

In the works.

Digging the trench for the pipe to connect
the well with the poly tank.

Working on the electrical components.

The poly tank piped up.










The completed well housing with cover.

Gravity feeds the faucet at the school from the poly tank as a small thirsty boy with big shoes fills his cup.

Pumping water at the well in Doblo Gonno

The internet this trip was very erratic. The best chance for blogging was in the middle of the night. Still, it took forever for photos to load such that I did not even try to blog a video. Truth be told, Mike is just learning to shoot with the video camera and video of office work is none too exciting, anyway!!! Now that I am back, however, I thought you would enjoy seeing this small video clip.

A Visit to Samsam: Jack's Pineapple Farm (Tuesday)

The proprietor of the farm prepares a pineapple for sampling and describes the work

On every trip, we try to see or do something which better informs us about Ghana. About a half an hour's drive north of Amasaman's dusty streets is Samsam, noted for its appealing greenery and agriculture. We decide it's time for a field trip, lock the office, and head for the green hills of Samsam with Mike, Rita, and Amanda in tow. We decide, since we pass by, that it might be interesting to visit the pineapple packing facility of the Blue Sky company first. Unfortunately, Blue Sky guards its plant as if it were Fort Knox. They require a written request to see the facility stating the "purpose of our mission." This is, alas, all too common in Ghana. What prompts it? Suspicion? A feeling of power in saying no? My thought is that they could probably add to their revenue by charging a few cedis to anyone wishing to tour the place--maybe having tours one day a week or something--but that would be me.... We will prepare a letter for another time.

We turn off the highway and head into Samsam's green hills. As it happens, Amanda's mother is from Samsam. This gives us an "in" and we are offered a tour of the pineapple fields by a farmer there. It is very hot and the sun is powerful. I am glad for my straw hat and for my ever- present water bottle, though it is hot enough to brew tea in it. We are in for a long walk. The farmer shows us the 3 varieities of pineapple he grows. Some pineapple are "volunteers," his term for those simply planted in the ground and some are "forced," those which are planted and then fed fertilizer. One of the 3varieties is a hybrid with the unpoetic name MD2. Some of the pineapple plants are raised in beds covered with plastic sheeting. The farmer (who I presume to be "Jack") talks at length informatively and proudly and offers samples of each variety which he cuts in the field and trims with his machete so that we can taste. This is the best pineapple I have ever eaten: sweet, dripping with juice, warm from the sun. It is remarkable that this effort shows considerable technical expertise. To see Samsam's mud-walled houses (see below) and the rough living conditions here, I did not expect it.

A magnificent tree is part of Samsam's greenery.

The mud-walled houses of Samsam.

Another example of the jarring juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern- the car parked near the mud-walled houses.

We've learned a lot about pineapple, enjoyed the greenery so absent from the environs of Amasaman, and lunched on pineapple as fresh as you can possibly get it. It's been an interesting excursion and a nice break for all of us from routine!

Baby pineapple above. Mature fruit at left.

Susan and I savor the best pineapple ever!!!!

Another voice: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Another voice heard from! This is Susan blogging. I have been nothing but delighted this trip with the progress that World Class has made in Amasaman, Doblo Gonno and Fise. We have been greeted warmly in all places and our work, especially in Doblo Gonno with the wells and the latrine, have had an enormous and measurable impact on the quality of life there. We are doing good work and it is clearly most appreciated.



Especially heartening has been the giant leap forward that our office staff has made developing and implementing our operating systems. Judy has done a fantastic job of keeping the finances on track with her weekly reports from Mike and he in turn has used all the office technology that we have put in place here to the max! Between scanning, Skype, e-mail, cell phone, and computers, the office in Amasaman runs efficiently and well. Both Mike and Rita are engaged and move comfortably through their days with grace and warmth and, especially in Rita's case, a developing self confidence that is quite evident. Professional development for them both is paying off well for World Class and for them, and they appear to be thriving.

I have spent a bunch of time this trip with Rita working on basic addition and subtraction math skills. Heaven help us if the calculator fails. I secured from the third grade teacher at the school where I work several math workbooks, and it has been fascinating to see what Rita knows and what completely flummoxes her. We have worked on number sequences, adding and subtracting large numbers carrying tens and hundreds. It has culminated with us working together to understand a business plan for her new entrepreneurial venture. She has purchased a metal container - about twelve feet long - from which she plans to sell fabric and sewing notions. Containers are ubiquitous here as shops as they are easily "erected" or set in place and are, with a good padlock, easily secured. The plan was all basic addition and subtraction that we had been working on for the last week and it was good for her to use her knowledge in a practical application that impacted her so completely.



That we are choosing water and sanitation projects in this area of Greater Accra is an extraordinary gift to the people of our communities and shows a sensitivity, flexibility and level of engagement to which most organizations can only pay lip service. That we have been successful with TWO wells, have built in maintenance margins for those projects and are able to keep them functional is no small feat. In reality it is AMAZING. This area is one of the only areas in all of southern Ghana that is home to the brulia cyst (sp). This is a flesh eating bacteria that is found in standing water and has plagued Doblo Gonno for a long time. There is an NGO in Amasaman that caters solely to people with this terrible affliction with a small clinic. There is not another clinic of its kind around because there is no need for one. The wells we have bored in Doblo Gonno have gone a long way in eliminating the need for people to get water from still water pools that breed this bacteria.



World Class is about to embark on its FIFTH YEAR. We have accomplished a tremendous amount in a very short time. An exceptional accomplishment for any organization much less of our size. Our loan program is working for a group of committed clients and we are moving forward with wisdom and a healthy regard for what it takes for our clients to repay their loans in this economic environment. Many of them, at this economic juncture, are the sole source of support for households that include husbands who have lost their jobs and extended family members who are down on their luck with the global economic downturn. We are working with them to weather these challenges. We have excellent repayment (100 percent from several large groups) thanks to our staff and the relationship building that has taken place over the last three years.

Our next well will advantage the women of Fise where the source of water for the community is a polluted pond ringed in latrines. It gave me shivers to watch a woman collect a bucket full of the brown, opaque liquid that came out of the pond. Our well will be sited in the older section of the town where the concentration of poverty is greatest.

Per usual, traveling with Judy has been great! Lots of laughter and great conversation. We have watched a couple of movies on her iPod sharing the ear plugs, and just marveled together about Ghana, its women and how anyone can accomplish anything in this HEAT. OMG it has been hot. But, with a little planning we have enjoyed rum and tonics with fresh limes at the end of each day (Susan carried Caribbean rum and Judy brought the ice cube tray!!!!) The quinine and limes are available here. So we get on. The work could not be more satisfying and the measurable successes keep us coming back.

To all of you World Class supporters - you owe it to yourself to visit with us here in Ghana just once!!!!!! You will be amazed at how far your contributions have gone!!!!!!

Occupational Hazard: Monday, 3/29/10

Susan and I walked to the office in Amasaman this morning, the desire for exercise out-weighing the discomfort of the heat. Shaded by our straw hats it is not an unpleasant 15-20 minutes. We have an appointment with an official of the Ga Rural Bank later in the morning, so when we arrive at the office, we get to work: Susan resumes tutoring Rita in basic arithmetic and I go over the construction of the monthly financial statement with Mike. I am writing on a yellow legal pad and notice that it is a soggy mess beneath my forearm. I look across the room at a dripping Susan! We look at each other and burst out laughing. We are soaked through with perspiration. This is another day when the power is off. The ceiling fan consequently is not working. There is not a breath of air through the windows. The exertion of our walk has overheated us and we are drenched. This is an occupational hazard for people unused to this climate. We drink and drink water and resume our roles as teachers. (In the picture, Susan and Rita review the concepts of the relative values of numbers in relation to one another and of rounding numbers.)

Pictures from Saturday March 27, 2010

Sophia and some of the loan clients of Shikspolese

Attentive listeners hear Mike's business planning presentation.

Seated next to Sophia at the "table of honor" The dog, according to Sophia, is her "senior head of security."

Judy with WC Program and Project Mgr. Mike Neequaye, his wife, Vera, and 9 month old baby, Darius, at the ice cream venue at Frankie's, the eatery in Osu which caters to western appetites.

Update from Ghana: Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sundays are quiet days for the traveler in Ghana. Activities here are all church-oriented and services last most of the morning and into the early afternoon. Joy Family Lodge, the small hotel where Susan and I are staying, is across the street from St. Sylvanus Catholic Church. It is enjoyable to hear the choir and the hymns waft along with the breeze. This is the most pleasant form of evangelism, I think.

Susan contracted a cold on the flight over and has been battling a sore throat. Yesterday we were in Osu and visited the Koala market, a small grocery which caters to foreigners. We picked up a supply of Halls lozenges, some honey, and a spare bottle of rum, figuring that she could combat it so armed! I will of course take appropriate rum-based prophylactic measures myself! While she rested at the hotel, I went on to Shikspolese to visit with our loan clients there.

These clients ("Sophia's group) have an impeccable record of repayment. They are the standard against which we measure the performance of other groups. When we hear excuses, we note that the economy and social conditions are no better in Shikspolese and clients there have a wonderful record.

The group meets on Saturdays at 4:00 PM in the courtyard of Sophia's home which is also the site of worship for the Presbyterian community in this area. There is a little table with a white lace cloth , bunches of colorful artificial flowers, and bottled water for me as World Class's US representative. I am touched by the attention to these details. There are about 10 women at the meeting and one man, whose wife, a client, was unable to attend. Each member gravely shakes my hand and says "Akwaaba," welcome. Mike translates my comments for them: I am happy to meet them at last and tell them that they are the "cream of the crop" and the standard of success for our loan program. They are delighted to hear it. Mike makes the presentation about business planning, a simple seminar on the need to take account of costs, including one's own labor, in any business. We respond to questions: why can't they get larger loans? why can't interest rates be reduced? why can't they repay every two weeks instead of each week? We address all these issues, if not to their satisfaction, then at least to their understanding. They are especially pleased that World Class is limiting itself to the assistance of only 3 small communities and that Shikspolese is among them. This means that the other elements of our mission, water and sanitation improvements, will eventually come their way.

We depart laden with gifts from all the members: coconuts, oranges, pineapples, dozens of fresh eggs, a loaf of bread, 4 bottles of malt, 2 cakes!!!! This is very generous; I know that for most of these women contributing to the pile of largess was a real sacrifice. I thank them for it. We shake hands in a kind of receiving line and take some pictures. Everyone is pleased, including me. We head back to the office and then the hotel. Sadly, it is well nigh impossible to make use of these treasures while staying in a hotel. I divide the goods up between Mike and Rita and give the taxi driver a couple of coconuts and pineapples. Susan and I enjoy some of the cake and make a present of the rest of it and the remaining fruit to Rita, our favorite hotel employee. We have kept a few sour oranges for the rum! This generosity is most appreciated and we have been careful that none of it has gone to waste.

The picture of the woman at the well was taken earlier in the week on a visit to the WC well in the village of Doblo Gonno. It is hard to express how good it feels to know that our organization has made it possible for this woman to get clean water near her home! One of the highlights of this trip, for sure!

Hi from Ghana: Saturday morning 3/27

I woke up early today (3:45 AM), most likely because the time difference has finally overwhelmed the jet lag and heat exhaustion! It is very warm here and I am soaked with perspiration most of the day. Well, it comes with the territory and I am used to it. If I manage to add any photos to the blog later on, though, you will know why we look something less than spiffy should we happen to appear in any of them!

It has been a busy week. Susan Kraeger and I have been doing our "due diligence" by examining the ledger cards of clients, receipts for the latrine construction, etc. and everything is in good order. We have also toured the latrines (unannounced), stall by stall and found them clean. There is some deterioration of one wall--the privacy wall--due to settling of the ground beneath it. Mike has been in touch with the mason and it will be repaired. Otherwise things are in good shape there. We visited the two wells in Doblo Gonno and went over the mechanization of the one at the school with the headmaster and met the matron of the school who will be "chief of the works" well-wise. The school is looking forward to managing the well and also to the rainwater catchment improvements. The other well in the village is steadily producing good quality water and we stopped in for a drink and a chat with a woman filling her buckets there.

Susan brought some grammar school books in basic arithmetic to help Rita improve her skills. Although Rita is nervous, she and Susan have a good rapport. Susan is a good and patient teacher and Rita's grasp of some basics has improved dramatically in just a few days. Rita is delighted to have a computer of her own atop her desk (thanks, Sandy, for the donation). Once we have a better handle on her level of knowledge, we will send her some arithmetic programs on CDs to run in our absence to further improve her skills in basic math. Our hope is that Rita would oneday become sufficiently competent to teach other women the basics. Imagine how terrifying it must be to conduct even very simple buying and selling without any confidence in your own arithmetic!!! You are at the mercy of the honesty of the people with whom you deal. But, first things first. Rita must get up to speed.....

We are under a rationing of electrical power here which means that one day you have it, one day you don't as the supply is shared out over all of Ghana. Apparently there is some major repair of cables under way and this has cut the usual supply (of itself inadequate) in half. The small hotel where we stay has a generator which can power some lights and the ceiling fan, so we are not much inconvenienced. In the office, however, we try to make sure that we get all we need to get done, done when we have power. It is problematic to keep the laptops charged and to get things printed out.

Internet access remains spotty. That in combination with the power situation may mean fewer posts to the blog. I will do the best I can, however.

Spring visit to Ghana: March 22-April 2, 2010

I'm getting ready for my spring visit to Ghana. I'll be joined there by WC board member Susan Kraeger, After all the bureaucratic hassle of the organization's incorporation and pursuit of NGO status last year, we are both looking forward to simply(??!!) concentrating our attention on our program and projects.

We are about to have improvements made on the well at the school in Doblo Gonno. The high demand for water on this well has led to temporary outages as use overwhelms the recovery rate of the well. A lot of futile pumping of the hand pump has led to a lot of wear and repair, too. We are hoping that a diesel powered automatic pump (there is no electric power in Doblo Gonno) which will feed a small polytank will alleviate the problem. Users will draw the tank down and it will be refilled intermittently as the well will allow. We want to go over the plans for the improvements and be sure that the school officials are ready to assume responsibility for the operation of the system.We will also be reviewing the findings of the hydrogeologist who should be conducting tests next week as to site suitability for a new well in Fise. We will be developing a plan for the development of the well and for its use and maintenance with community leaders.

We have revamped the loan program, making it smaller and, we hope, easier to manage. We want to consult with clients and our board members as to revised rules and policies governing the loan program. How do we improve the rate of loan repayment? What do we do about clients who fall seriously ill, die, or have a family member die? These are the kinds of practical issues before us. One group of clients, "Sophia's group," has a nearly perfect record of repayment. We hope to get to know Sophia and the members of her group better and to learn what it is about them that makes them such impeccable clients!

As always, we will be doing our "due diligence" checking our records. Part of our time will be spent on staff development. We will be introducing the new printable calculators, a small laptop for Rita, and assisting Mike in learning some basic accounting. The procedures we implemented last spring for collection and reporting of data have worked remarkably well. We will continue to refine and adapt our tools and procedures and to educate our very willing staff of two.

We have purchased a small video camera for use in Ghana. If the internet gods over Africa, (very capricious), are looking upon WC favorably, I will be supplying the blog with some video! Stay tuned.....

Welcome

Please visit our website at http://worldclass-ghana.org/. This journal will be an ongoing description of our trips to Ghana and the successes, challenges and stories that we encounter along the way.