Are we helping or hurting those we serve?
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Connie Cheren, founder of Partners for Care, challenges common charitable practices by arguing that well-intentioned service work often causes unintended harm when it undermines local capacity and employment. She advocates for asset-based approaches that build on what communities can already do, rather than relief-focused interventions that create dependency and displace local workers.
Key takeaways
- Never do for others what they can do for themselves; assess community assets rather than focusing on deficits.
- Relief should be short-term; development requires long-term relationships, employment, and investment in local capacity rather than direct aid.
- Seemingly helpful interventions like medical camps, donated clothing, and volunteer construction often displace local workers and undermine local economies and self-esteem.
- Effective international service creates jobs and economic opportunity through approaches like trading sewing machines, teaching computer skills, and supporting local entrepreneurs.
- Before designing solutions, ask the five W's repeatedly to identify the real underlying problem, not just the visible symptom.
About Connie CherenConnie Cheren is a nurse and healthcare consultant who founded Partners for Care 18 years ago. She works pro bono for the organization while consulting to support herself, focusing on employment and economic development in East Africa.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
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Program: Are we helping or hurting those we serve?
Speaker: Connie Cheren
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
In our actions when serving others, we must critically evaluate whether our intentions are benevolent or detrimental. It is crucial to identify the unforeseen consequences of our interventions and strive to provide assistance without inadvertently causing harm to those we seek to help. While our intentions may not be malicious, it is essential to acknowledge that our actions can sometimes have unintended negative effects. The speaker will delve into the conventional mission approach and share firsthand experiences of the harm that can and does occur when we fail to consider the potential consequences of our actions.
Our speaker, Connie Cheren, is a nurse and a social worker with over forty years of experience in healthcare and eighteen years of experience working in East Africa. She is the founder and president of Partners for Care, a non-profit organization that employs staff in Kenya to address public health concerns. PFC upholds the principles of local solutions and sustainability in its approach. Their working tenets emphasize empowering individuals to take responsibility for their own well-being rather than relying solely on external assistance.
Members and guests, please welcome Connie Cheren!
To learn more, go to:
https://www.partnersforcare.org
To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to:
http://rotary.cool
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