Zim picked to head new NGO committee

The Herald

21 April 1986

ZIMBABWE has been chosen chairman of a new committee aimed at co-ordinating and improving the management of non-governmental organisations in eastern and southern Africa.

The director of the Voluntary Organisations in Community Enterprise, Cde Zebbediah Gamanya, who was elected chairman of the task force at a regional meeting of NGO co-ordinating bodies in Nairobi, Kenya, last week, said delegates expressed concern at the fact that NGO management and training usually takes place at the initiative of overseas agents.

Cde Gamanya told The Herald that local NGOs needed to initiate, manage and control their own development process and this could be enhanced by collaboration among NGOs in the sub-region.

A meeting attended by committee members from Zambia and Kenya would soon be held in Harare.

Meanwhile, the Voice chairman, Cde George Nyandoro, has warned foreign NGOs not to try and influence or plan for local NGOs. In his annual report, he said Zimbabweans must find their own direction. He said many people had predicted the downfall of the organisation since it launched an exercise to make itself truly indigenous.

Despite the gloomy predictions, the organisation was in a better position than ever before.

Lessons for today:

• This article teaches several important lessons, particularly about self-determination and collaboration.

• Cde George Nyandoro highlights the significance of local NGOs taking charge of their own development rather than relying on external agents. This was meant to ensure that solutions are tailored to the community’s unique needs and challenges.

• The emphasis on regional cooperation among NGOs in eastern and southern Africa shows how shared knowledge and resources can strengthen organisations and their ability to address common issues.

• The warning against foreign NGOs attempting to plan for local NGOs underlines the importance of autonomy and maintaining control over one’s direction.

• Zimbabwe being chosen as the Chairman meant its leadership role in the committee showed its value of taking initiative to guide and support others in the region.