A few years ago, we met a man who made a fortune in the financial markets and set up his own foundation “to save the world.” We were hoping he might wish to achieve at least part of this worthy goal by partnering with Network for Africa. We described our cautious approach, finding reliable local civil society groups with whom we could start mental health pilot projects. We explained that we start small in scale at the beginning, and then building slowly, learning from our mistakes as we went. We stressed the need to make sure people could successfully manage their post-traumatic stress disorder in the hope that they could then begin productive lives, breaking the cycle of poverty that kept them living in dire circumstances. This process takes time, we told him.
No, no, no, the man exclaimed. I want big projects that solve Africa’s problems. I don’t want to mess around with this small-scale stuff. I want to be the one who eliminates poverty, disease and ignorance. I want to roll out stuff fast.
And so the meeting ended, he with his world-changing ambitions, and Network for Africa with its cautious approach (and not a penny of his money). The 18th century Irish philosopher Edmund Burke wrote:
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.
In our twenty-one years of “messing around” in Africa, we have learned that “doing a little” can make a massive difference to the life chances of thousands of people. We could have reached many more Africans if we had restricted ourselves to running short, superficial training projects before passing on to the next place. Yet, by listening to local people, we heard that they were tired of big aid agencies offering brief “trainings” that left them with a certificate, a t-shirt and a document binder to add to their collection.
Instead, people wanted the tools to transform their circumstances and those of their community. Mental health challenges do not exist in isolation from poverty, conflict and damaging traditions. There are no quick fixes: if they worked, we would have seen the results by now.
For this reason, Network for Africa is unapologetic about remaining in communities in Uganda, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, adding layers of skills and confidence to our local partners as they valiantly perform day to day mental health work. Change happens by enlisting the support of local opinion leaders like officials and teachers, not by imposing a one-size-fits-all model dreamed up in the wealthy white world.
As we mark Africa Day on May 25th, we are grateful that our supporters have faith in us; for ignoring the “Africa is a disaster” cliches that go hand in hand with “life is cheap in Africa”. We remain in awe of the resilience and resourcefulness of our African partners. They meet incredible challenges without complaint or self-pity. The least we can do is to match their commitment by staying the course beside them. Thank you for staying the course with us at Network for Africa. To continue to help our work, please visit our donation page.