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Researching Ukraine's avatar

I would like to reinforce why it is so important to "give locally". Why large aid orgs or corporations don't actually solve any problems on the ground.

When you give to Rickshaws for Ukraine or other local Ukrainian aid organizations you are putting all the money in Ukraine (that the banks don't take). This helps the local economy. Locals know where the money is actually needed on a day to day basis. The large aid org method is to have layers of middle management (salaries) and bring in experts or refer to data on a chart. This is costly, and near useless.

Large aid orgs generally spend about 20% of your money with local partners called "Sub Implementing Partners". These are the locals that actually do all the work. Also, in the case of mega aid orgs like the UN, WHO, or International Red Cross, that 20% often shrinks to less than 10%.

So, if you "gave at the office" to a mega aid org. You actually didn't do much.

Here is a video that isn't exactly what I am explaining to you here, but it touches on the problems of foreign aid. Including how it makes things worse, not better. Long story short, give as local as you can to aid Ukraine. Rickshaws for Ukraine is a great example. This money goes to work immediately. All of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFRTviAVthU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eMu93TqK-0

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Hans Torvatn's avatar

Thanks for the update. Always good to hear about this. I like these reports and they function as a reminder. It’s important to me to put my money where my mouth is. Another very important feature of these reports is of course that they build trust. Because while I do trust you enough to send you money I like see that they are put to use. And here is where I will nuance Benjamin’s comments. I do believe in small local organizations like you are organizing. But while I acknowledge the problem of bigger organizations (I haven’t seen percentages that bad before, but yes the cost is there) I also think that it is easier to trust the than some totale random. Having read this blog for some tears I think can trust you, but before I would have to go to either a large organization or to some (in my case) Norwegian organization. There are several such often focusing on providing equipment to Ukraine like fire trucks, cars (the need is recognized), generators and so on. But big organizations have their place in this ecosystem. And very big one might shape policy. When Amnesty International calls Israel’s actions in Gaza for genocide it affects peoples thinking. (unfortunately that is also true when they mess up, but the point remains). It wouldn’t make the same impact if Rickshaws dif. Big organizations are accountable and matter. Just nuancing here, now it’s time for PayPal (sorry but it’s so easy).

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