Developing World NGOs

K09

Hi,

I am curious to know about the smaller but incredibly innovative ngos who do fantastic work in the developing World.
I know of the Alan Kerins nd Niall Mellon projects. Are there other similar Irish projects afoot in less well off places?

And are there any particular projects that you would love to see take off?

Thanks!

dory

There are hundreds of small Irish projects all over the world. I always thought it would make a great documentary if anyone had the money to fly around the place and see what the Irish are doing abroad. Many people in far away lands have commented to me on how amazed they are that Ireland is such a tiny country, and yet the work Irish people do is visable all over the world.
I've never heard of the first one there, but even Niall Mellon, I wouldn't really call it a small one at all seeing as I've seen people in Dublin shaking buckets. Small organisations don't have the manpower to do that.

There's a nun from Wicklow in Calcutta who runs a school for poor children and runs about 30 other projects. Someone estimated that all her things reach 25,000 on a continual basis.
There's a school in the North East of India that started with an Indian monk teaching 4 students after school - then some teenagers from Ireland went over on a 4th year school tour and hired a full time teacher for him and continued to support and visit. School now has 250 students and a small Irish organisation has been set up to continue the support.
Lastly, there's an Irish priest who runs a home for home for abused children in Peru. He also has a special school and an after school project.

Well they're what I can think of off the top of my head. I've never worked in Africa and that would be where the bulk are. Generally the organisations I work for are small and just work away without websites or big promotional drives. And they would hate the idea of their name being in the title of the charity. Some in India thought it was a joke that Niall Mellon is a guy's name.

Also, if any of those people heard you say 'third world' - they would smack you.
Is that what you were asking for?

earleuginedoyle

dory wrote: »

Also, if any of those people heard you say 'third world' - they would smack you.
Is that what you were asking for?

i have to agree, please please stop using this phrase! we live in ONE world! people in the countries you refer to are not living in some lesser world, they merely face greater challenges! if you insist on using a term, please use developing!

K09

earleuginedoyle wrote: »

i have to agree, please please stop using this phrase! we live in ONE world! people in the countries you refer to are not living in some lesser world, they merely face greater challenges! if you insist on using a term, please use developing!

Of course!! My sincere apologies. I must not have been thinking clearly. If possible could an admin edit my post and put inDeveloping World!

Sorry again!

cici81

Just throwing it in there that some people have no problem with the phrase Third World. Just finished a thesis on a related subject, and some people are equally unhappy with the terms Developing World and Global South, etc. It's also been maintained that the phrase Third World was devised by developing nations themselves in the context of the Third Estate during the French revolution- ie those who were going to revolt and overcome the First Estate to create the republic. Lost it's meaning though and became seen as a kind of tiered system, so Third seemed offensive. Just throwing it out there, cos I found during my thesis language became a big issue.

Anyway, I worked in Africa through an organisation called Volunteer Africa who worked through a small local NGO in Tanzania called HAPA. They were great, and what I really liked was it was past volunteers putting new volunteers in contact with HAPA leaving minimal admin costs. They build schools and medical dispensaries around the Singida region. The locals were doing most of the building with the volunteers' funds and help. Great experience!

Tzkaka

cici81 wrote: »

Just throwing it in there that some people have no problem with the phrase Third World. Just finished a thesis on a related subject, and some people are equally unhappy with the terms Developing World and Global South, etc. It's also been maintained that the phrase Third World was devised by developing nations themselves in the context of the Third Estate during the French revolution- ie those who were going to revolt and overcome the First Estate to create the republic. Lost it's meaning though and became seen as a kind of tiered system, so Third seemed offensive. Just throwing it out there, cos I found during my thesis language became a big issue.

Anyway, I worked in Africa through an organisation called Volunteer Africa who worked through a small local NGO in Tanzania called HAPA. They were great, and what I really liked was it was past volunteers putting new volunteers in contact with HAPA leaving minimal admin costs. They build schools and medical dispensaries around the Singida region. The locals were doing most of the building with the volunteers' funds and help. Great experience!

Hi cici81,

I just came across this post and have to say I would be very interested in Volunteering on this project.. Any info on it would be great? I spent time in Bagamoyo in Tanzania in 2007 teaching English & coaching soccer and am eager to return and bring my girlfriend along.

She is more interested in doing hands on work etc, any info on roles and work that is done would be great so that I could give her a clearer picture!

Thanks,
Tzkaka

Capt'n Midnight

Third World - name was from cold war politics.

First World = The west , USA / NATO / allies and other similar countries like ourselves , Japan
Second World = Communist countries, Eastern Europe , Russia , China etc.
Third World = Everyone Else. Most of these were also poor so the name was used for poverty etc. Apart from the rich neutral countries most of these would also fit into non-aligned


And while I'm at it those maps you see with the northern countries bigger than the ones at the equator ? Mecator's projection means that straight lines on the map are also straight lines on the sea ( or ground ) which is kinda handy if you want to navigate.


Yes there are lots of NGO's , you need to choose one that uses your special talents. Also the ones that encourage self sufficiency are best. TBH I don't have a lot of time for the ones that use volunteers as unskilled labour AND have very little interaction with the locals. Don't go if you don't interact with the people. While you can argue that you are giving money, the reality is that a huge chunk is going to the airlines, at least if you meet people you may become a little more politicised, remember despite all the good the NGO's do debt payments and trade restrictions are still a millstone.

The goal is "Trade, not Aid"

amz5

dory wrote: »

Lastly, there's an Irish priest who runs a home for home for abused children in Peru. He also has a special school and an after school project.

Hi,

The name of this organisation is PREDA.

I'm going to the Philippines to do some volunteer work with PREDA during the next few months. I thought some people here might be interested to hear about this organisation, as a number of people are eager to do volunteer work in this part of boards.ie.

PREDA was started in 1974 by Fr. Shay Cullen, an Irish Columban Missionary, and Merle and Alex Hermoso, a Filipino couple. The group has been involved in a lot of campaign work and investigations into syndicates and paedophile rings sexually exploiting children. It has also been involved in rescuing children from prisons in the Philippines. It has opened two schools and offers therapy for children who have been abused.

PREDA's work involves preventive education, community development, livelihood development and fair trading activities.

Fr Shay Cullen has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on three occasions. I'm going to attach a few links from youtube which explain the work that is being done better than I can

Children in prison in the Philippines and information about the prison rescues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oded9fEbvaA
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4a1ARfCDk

Fr Shay won a Meteor award, and this clip gives more information about his background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reCuXcEj7XQ

Their website is: http://www.preda.org/main/index.htm
and their Galway web address is http://www.predagalway.org/

I'm going over until the end of July. You don't need to do any fundraising, although obviously any donations would probably be gratefully received. Flights to the Philippines are fairly expensive, but if it was me and I hadn't travlled in SE Asia before, I might make it part of a bigger plan. I'll be staying a few months, but they take people for a few days, weeks...

dory

amz5 wrote: »

Hi,

The name of this organisation is PREDA.

Not the one I was referring to, but I've read up on it and the work they do sounds incredible. I was talking about a different Columban father, Tony Coney. I think I have heard of Fr. Shay though.
Best of luck in the Philippines.

amz5

Thanks a million. This thread is a great source of information for people interested in volunteering. Your post in particular offered a lot of informaiton about organisations I wasn't familiar with.