International NGOs urged to work on projects with local community groups

International non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should partner with local community groups in executing development projects at the grassroots.

This is according to Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) founder Dr Kennedy Odede, who insisted that initiatives targeted at turning around the lives of the poor and other disadvantaged members of the society would only succeed if the input of the beneficiaries was sought.

Dr Odede said such partnerships should involve tapping into the expertise of locals to realise meaningful change.

“Covid-19 opened the eyes of international NGOs that are controlled by the West and that used to think they can do without the locals. We must decolonise aid funding and trust local leaders to spearhead change at the grassroots level,” he said. 

Leadership forum

He was speaking at a leadership forum convened by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Nairobi on Tuesday. The event was graced by 200 IRC officials from over 40 countries.

Dr Odede lauded Shofco's partnership with IRC, saying, it has enabled the two entities to get resources and use their deep grassroots network to locate refugees living in informal settlements.

On his part, IRC President David Miliband lauded Shofco's on-ground approach to solving the most pressing challenges.

“I’m impressed by Shofco's penetration in the grassroots. We could not get a better partner than Shofco to work with us in reaching out to refugees in slums. Within a very short time, we have been able to touch and change the lives of many refugees who were hiding in slums thanks to Shofco,” said Mr Miliband.