I am baaaccckk. So, I know I promised some people that I will write about what they submitted I should write about, but December was busy and January (as that meme said) was a hell of a year, because I won’t even say month. Wooo!!! Chile!!! Ok So, somebody sent me this last year to write a post about and I have not gotten around to it:
So I would really like to hear suggestions and a sort of blue print, in a single post, about ways to help in Salone that isn’t reactionary? So not when there’s been a crisis, but just to help/make an impact, etc. for those who have not returned. && I guess the first question would be whether you think diaspora can help significantly without visiting and how? Without being white saviorish.
This was a really good question and honestly over the years, I have gone back and forth about this because at different points, I’ve felt differently. There was a point in my life where I was like: “even sending money every month helps, because every little bit counts.” There were other moments in my life when I was very jaded and my energy was like: “keep it, it won’t do shi-!” Now I am the stage of my life where it is…complicated. I am sure that’s not the answer everyone is looking for, but I always say I don’t have the answer and I’ll only speak (or write rather) from my OWN experience.
I think that unless you are building something sustainable back home, your impact won’t be that much. So, to answer this question: it depends on how you measure impact and what you think impact is. We all have different measurements and as someone who has been working in development for a while, I probably have a much heavier definition of impact, which like I’ve said before, is something that goes beyond a few months and for me affects a larger population. You can make a difference in one person’s life, sure, by sending them school fees, but there is not much guarantee given how the educational system is, that this person will be successful; even less of a guarantee that in the long run, that what you did will be impactful beyond that person. Your money probably would go much further, if say for example, you are donating to a trustworthy organization, which you know is doing a good job of not only paying those school fees, but giving that young person the skills they need to be successful in school and in the job market later. I know a FEW organizations in Sierra Leone who do that. They just don’t provide scholarships; they go beyond and for me that’s one way to ensure impact. I can send private messages to those interested, but I don’t want to do a post with a list, before some people feel left out.
The other big way I think the diaspora can make an impact is to pool their resources and efforts, whether monetary or otherwise. I will talk more about this in the long, promised, blog post on remittances (money that people send to their families back home, that somehow gave people the impressions that they have the right to dictate to their families back home on how to vote last election) that I said I would do. I think if we had more investment firms and more organizations doing the same work pooling their resources, it would be more impactful. For example, during a disaster like a mudslide, there will be more coordination in services, instead of the usual disorganization that we see and everyone vying for funds and over serving the same population. I think individuals with certain skills (like a tech-focused group I recently joined) lending their services to the government or to certain groups in Sierra Leone will go a long way.
With investment firms, you get to do your due diligence: you get to know the companies or entrepreneurs or individuals you are investing in. They must really make it clear why they think they are deserving and must show a proof of sustainability or proof that what they are saying can work and can be scalable and make an impact. The other thing that you can do within these types of entities is make sure that whatever it is you are supporting, is thinking about systematic change; how is this going to change how things are done and not just addressing a very small portion of a problem? In a nutshell, if you really want to help, it is not easy and you have to really put your effort into it.
Now to address the “white savior-ish” part. One of the things we the diaspora have in common with the “white saviors,” is that we think we have all the answers and that we are smarter than those on the ground. A lot of the time we are just talking to ourselves and those who agree with us; echo chamber. We visit once a year, during the holiday season and we think we know what the issues are and have the solutions. When coming up with ideas, although we may involve those on the ground at some point, we do not involve them in a real sense, such as asking them what they think, it is more so on how they can execute what we think is the solution. So, if you want to avoid being “white savior-ish” engage people on the ground in a meaningful way because we have people who know their stuff and can blow you away with their ideas. *whisper* You might also be surprised that there have been many with your ideas* I remember one of my Harvard professors said to us: “I don’t care about your ideas” and basically in a nutshell said, ideas were cheap. If you think you are the only one who have thought about your idea, then you are wrong. The difference between you and the many before you is probably: the drive, the timing, resources to execute, etc. etc.
So! I don’t know if I have answered this question well enough, but to summarize: 1)Yes, you can help from the diaspora in an impactful way depending on what you think is impactful (2) We need to come together in LARGE, collaborative ways (3) We need to do our homework and due diligence and humble ourselves.
I hope this is helpful from humble ‘ol me….
© A Voice of the Salone Diaspora
Salone Creatives 