Recently, I received a forwarded e-mail from a cousin who is into the “social justice scene” on her college campus. She knows that I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro a few years back with a group of friends, and wanted to know if I wanted to do it again “for a good cause.” The e-mail was from Colin Salisbury, the CEO of the Global Volunteer Network, informing supporters about “The 2010 Mt Kilimanjaro Fundraising Trek” to benefit the GVN Foundation.
The e-mail said:
“The 2010 Mt Kilimanjaro Fundraising Trek is just around the corner and aims to raise money for disadvantaged children in schools, IDP camps, and orphanages in Kenya. However, to meet our base fundraising target which provides immediate needs such as food, medical care, and education for the kids, we are seeking three more participants to join the trek.”
According to the GVN Foundation website, $79,908 has been raised for the “Kenyan Children’s Fund.”
(See for yourself: http://www.gvnfoundation.org/programs/projects/kenya/)
It is made clear that much of this money has gone to fund orphanages:
“Our partner works with over 60 schools and orphanages in and around Nairobi. Assist GVN Foundation as we work to provide funding to needy children in 5 very special orphanages and schools in Kenya.”
“Financed the construction costs for needy orphanages- roofs, dorms etc.”
“Providing regular grants to assist with orphanage running costs.”
At the end of this post, I have linked to a number of articles concerning orphans, but one quote, from a blog I follow, Good Intentions are Not Enough, sticks out:
“Orphanages can bring in a lot of foreign donations, and the best way to keep those donations rolling in is to keep the children at a substandard level so that any volunteer or donor showing up will see with their own eyes how "critical" it is to donate to the orphanage. This not only brings in immediate money, but may also lead to the donor/volunteer raising money or collecting donated goods from friends and family back home.”
-Hug-an-orphan vacations by Saundra S.
(Read for yourself: http://informationincontext.typepad.com/good_intentions_are_not_e/orphanages/)
Orphanages have the potential to do more harm than good. Corrupt local people have financial incentives to gather children together to start “orphanages” (where most of the children most likely have a parent) and use the children to attract donors. Stupid Wazungu is questioning the GVN Foundation’s funding of orphanages that seem to fall into this category.
For example, one of the four projects listed on the GVN Foundation’s “Kenya Orphanage Sponsorship” page is “Mamma Tunza’s Learning Centre.”
After catching wind of allegations against this home, I decided to do some investigating. Sure enough, after a few e-mails to friends who had volunteered with GVN, I was forwarded an e-mail by a friend of a friend. She dug out of an old e-mail folder from more than a year ago. Sent from the acting CEO of GVN on November 18, 2008, it detailed a report done by GVN after accusations by volunteers of abuse and corruption at this home.
Regarding the well-being and care of the children...
Two examples of feedback cited in the report were:
“I got extremely upset with the health and wellbeing of the children.”
“I think that the children are at a serious level of vulnerability and are being taken advantage of.”
GVN concluded, “Based on information from VICDA [GVN’s partner in Kenya] and feedback from previous volunteers, the findings reveal that volunteers are concerned with the health and wellbeing of the children however there is no documented proof that abuse (including sexual abuse) has taken place.”
Regarding the alleged misuse of funds and resources donated to the home...
Volunteers reported:
“Much of the funding they [Mama Tunza Children’s Home] receive is not used for the benefit of the children”
“Volunteers have seen Tunza family members leaving with dry storage food that had been donated to the children. I saw first hand that this could be a legitimate concern….”
Based on the information provided from GVN’s partner in Kenya, it was concluded that “there is no clear evidence to support the allegation that funding and resources are being misused by the Director.”
In discussing their action points, GVN said:
“The GVN Foundation will not be forwarding any further funds to [...] Mama Tunza Children’s Home until further notice. The GVN Representative with VICDA will review the program in February 2009.”
“GVN will not be placing volunteers at [...] Mama Tunza Children’s Home until further notice. The GVN Representative with VICDA will review the situation and conditions in February 2009.”
Apparently, the review in February in 2009 was more than favorable. Now, of the hundreds of projects in Kenya that are in need of assistance, 4 are posted on the GVN Kenya Orphanage Sponsorship, one of which is Mamma Tunza’s Home.
The sponsorship program allows donors to support the children at Mamma Tunza’s home by paying $30 a month to “...help supply the basics of school supplies, Centre running costs, and meals.”
(See for yourself: http://www.gvnfoundation.org/programs/sponsorship/kenya/)
It has been alleged that Mamma Tunza is herself profiting from the horrific state her children live in. Unfortunately, I find it hard to sympathize with her as her home is one of the stops of a “Kibera Tour,” which brings tourist to see Kibera. With a constant flow of volunteers from GVN, VICDA, and tourists coming to see the “orphans” in their destitute state, it is easy to see how keeping the children looking poor would benefit her personally.
(See for yourself: http://www.kiberatours.com/page/kibera-slum-tour-nairobi)
The deeper a person digs, the more dirt that is found. A report written on July 1, 2009 by two counselors, Collins and Becky, working at Mamma Tunza said, “However, we understand giving cash to Mama Tunza is trouble because she would use them for her personal consumption, but we recommend that a way out has to be found to help these kids.”
(See for yourself: http://uweza.org/documents/counselorsreportjuly2009.pdf)
An organization entitled Caleb’s Hope, visited Kenya to find projects for their organization. Upon a visit to Mamma Tunza’s, it was said,
“I was living and working – well supposed to be – at Mama Tunza’s Children Centre. A very crowded orphanage in the heart of Kibera with children ranging from infants to 16 years of age.
Mama unfortunately only wanted hand-outs, and on a regular basis. It was questionable if the funds were going to the children. Actually, most often they weren’t. And there was no work to be done. Rather it wasn’t allowed.”
(See for yourself: http://calebshope.org/calebs-hope-blog/Calebs-Hope-Meets-Africa-Yoga-Project.html)
After reading the following blog, I would not stand beside its credibility. Certainly, the author is a volunteer who is a rookie in Africa, and, for all intensive purposes, probably has no idea what he is doing. His blog is plagued with ridiculous comments and vulgar language, but an interesting narrative about Mamma Tunza’s orphanage. His claims are unsubstantiated, but the nature of the claims is significant enough to warrant substantiation.
“Irene [director of VICDA] informed me that the new orphanage would be run by Mama Tunza, and I immediately began to tell her my concerns about her placing too much faith in a person that I knew to be far less than trustworthy.... I tried to convince her that Mama Tunza and her cronies were not people that should be given so much responsibility because they would, ultimately, let those people down that had tried to help them....
One day at the site, my faith wavered. I saw Mama Tunza [...] speaking to Patty [the donor] and could tell from the good distance I was sitting at that Patty was beginning to get tense and uneasy. I continued to watch the discussion and, eventually, saw Patty pointing his finger at Derrick and saying "That's exactly why we didn't put any single person's name on the title deed, Derrick, so this kind of a discussion wouldn't have to happen! This home is for the kids and the staff who wish to move here to it, and it's a gift!" My heart sank. Everything that I had felt and known for the past 2 months had come to fruition in those two sentences, and I knew there would be problems from there. To provide some background to Patty's statement, Irene had assured me when we first visited the construction site that her name, as well as Mama Tunza's, had been placed on the title deed for the land and any property constructed on it. This was a smart safeguard on Irene's part, as she was not completely ignorant to Mama Tunza's corruptibility and wanted to make sure that the land and property could not be sold if Mama Tunza and her possie had complete ownership of it. Either way, I knew that this gift had been given to the wrong woman and, furthermore, people's faith had been put in the wrong people [...]
This past Thursday night, all of my feelings, intuition, and experiences came to a boil when [a women] told me that Mama Tunza and most of the administration were trying their hardest to secure the title deed for the land with the intention of trying to sell the land and property on it, keep the money, and keep themselves and the kids that they 'care' for in Kibera [....]
[...] Mama Tunza is one of the worst people I have ever met on this planet and deserves nothing but the products of her ignorance [...]”
(See for yourself: http://missinginafrica.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-i-first-arrived-in-kenya-i-was.html)
Is GVN aware (or even care) about the allegations against the orphanages it supports? Is GVN rewarding those who take advantage of children?
After the “Eat So They Can Fundraiser” of 2008, the following was posted on the website: “funds will also be used to invest in the future, by paying for Mama Tunza, the woman who cares for these children, to receive an education.”
(See for yourself: http://www.eatsotheycan.org/about/distribution.php)
Irene, the director of VICDA, posted on her blog:
“The mama tunza orphanage construction is now ready for kids to move in.
From kibera slums to such a beautiful structure in a clean and fresh environment. No more open sewerage,flying toilets, gabbage smell for these kids.
It is a dream for them come true. Alot of thanks to paddy and his team.”
(See for yourself: http://givehope-life.blogspot.com/)
On one of the two VICDA websites, it is stated:
“VICDA network with different childreh orphanages and families to provide shelter,education,food,healthcare for orphnas and vulnerable children in Kenya. In the year 2006 VICDA bought a piece of land in Ngong which is a very beautiful area for one of the orphanage in Kibera slum which accommodates 102 children who has lost their parents through HIV/AIDS and other tragedies. Early this year the shelter was fully sponsoered by one of the donor and everything was provided for from beds, bedding, bathrooms, kitchen,stores and accommodation for the workers. August 2009, the kids from mama Tunza orphanage in Kibera slum moved to this beautiful shleter in Ngong.”
(See for yourself: http://www.vicda.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:shelter-for-orphans-destitute-kids&catid=34:child-sponsorship&Itemid=74)
At the end of the report issued in November of 2008, GVN said:
“GVN and the GVN Foundation do not support abuse or corruption. We continue to remain dedicated to improving the lives of the children at all of the projects we support, including the children at Mama Tunza[...] We will continue to monitor both these projects, investigating ways of how we can improve the operations and conditions at the homes [...]”
Your right, GVN does not appear to support abuse or corruption, but it appears that they are rewarding those who do. As an economist, I live and breathe incentives. This will no doubt lead to corrupt individuals keeping children in dismal conditions in order to attract donors.
We invite GVN to respond to the evidence featured in this post.
Though I would enjoy climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro again, I would not do it to support the projects GVN seems to partner with. There are many Community-Based Organizations that are not corrupt and are doing amazing work, but supporting the corrupt ones will only bread more corruption.
Links to Articles/Posts about Orphanages.
BBC News - Most ‘orphans’ have a living parent, says charity
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8375579.stm
New York Times - Aid Gives Alternative to African Orphanages
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/world/africa/06orphans.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimes
Good Intentions are Not Enough - Does Funding Orphanages Create Orphans?
Good Intentions are Not Enough - Be cautious when funding orphanages
http://informationincontext.typepad.com/good_intentions_are_not_e/2009/09/funding-orphanages.html
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