
Fortune News | Jan 29,2022
Aug 7 , 2021
By Carolyn Kissane
We have been deep into the rainy season, kiremtin Amharic, for a while. People have varying opinions about it. Many say they sleep a lot better to the ambience of the pitter-patter of the raindrops while others loath the subsequent mud. For as far back as I can recall, kiremthas always made me feel grateful and sad at the same time. The former is because I have a warm bed sheltered from the extremes of nature. Sometimes, we underestimate how good we have it.
It is also sad because homeless people are scattered throughout the country, especially in cities, unable to get a good night’s sleep. The most they can make do with on the streets is makeshift plastic shelters, which offer inadequate protection from the unforgiving rain and cold. In such times, we are thankful for those who give what they have to contribute to the most vulnerable. This is where non-profit organisations should make the most difference. Even if they help just one person, that is significant.
Unfortunately, things are not that easy. Last week, over a cup of tea korenti(warm ginger tea mixed with a drop of strong alcohol such as Areqe), a friend of mine told me about how some NGOs work and how these things tend to be less philanthropic than they seem to be at first sight.
If one wishes to open an NGO, the founder is usually the director and then requires endorsement by board members. This is then submitted for approval and licensing by the government, and the board collects the funds for the various philanthropy activities after presenting their project to donors. There are always administrative costs attached, aside from the funds meant to go to projects since someone needs to run the NGO.
The director can name his salary and, in many cases, also gets housing and a car. This specific individual that my friend was telling me about also received these benefits. At just 30 years old, his salary is a cool 220,000 Br a month while driving around in an eight million Birr SUV.
How many people have been the beneficiary of this NGO thus far?
None. The programme is still in its "research phase." Most such non-profit organisations insist that they need to pay their workers competitive salaries to attract the best talent. This has some logic to it, but it does not explain why salaries in NGOs are far and above other fields that would pay competitive salaries as well, such as financial institutions. Neither do the stories of nepotism imbue observers with confidence about the work of these institutions.
There are a myriad of charitable organisations in Ethiopia. Many of them are critical to improving the lives of the vulnerable, especially in situations such as drought, where people need immediate food assistance. But such institutions should also be looked at more keenly to ensure that no funny business is happening.
A woman recently showed up at my doorstep telling me she was from a charity association and asked me to buy a ticket to help support the elderly and the needy. I often get sceptical over such requests, but I give them the benefit of the doubt, regardless. Thus I bought a 50 Br ticket, which had a stamp on it and looked legitimate. But this is small consolation given that people that attempt to exploit also get sophisticated with time.
We should research more thoroughly the organisations and the people we are giving money to; otherwise, we could be getting swindled. There is, for instance, a viral Telegram bot that claims to be collecting donations for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). After a bit of inspection by a tech-savvy friend, we found out that it was a scam. The people behind it were attempting to exploit the national mood.
It pays to doubt and question things in this day and age. But it is what it is; be warned.
PUBLISHED ON
Aug 07,2021 [ VOL
22 , NO
1110]
Fortune News | Jan 29,2022
View From Arada | Jan 15,2022
Editorial | Jun 12,2021
Editorial | Jul 03,2021
Verbatim | Aug 01,2020
Fortune News | Dec 29,2018
View From Arada | Nov 27,2018
My Opinion | Mar 27,2021
Viewpoints | Nov 02,2019
Viewpoints | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 122660 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 118775 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 117226 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 115036 Views | Aug 07,2021
Editorial | Feb 01,2025
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Feb 1 , 2025
Urban renewal is seldom gentle to those on the receiving end of redevelopment. Take s...
Jan 25 , 2025
Grand ambitions have long driven Ethiopia's successive leaders, but they remain weigh...
Jan 18 , 2025
Adanech Abebie, the mayor of Addis Abeba, addressed last week a warm-up session for h...
A severe cash shortage squeezes the economy, and the deposit-to-loan ratio has slumpe...
Feb 1 , 2025
The incumbent Prosperity Party (PP) rallied 1,200 of its ranks amid a turbulent polit...
Feb 2 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
A notable wave of lending rate increases is reshaping the financial sector, following...
Feb 2 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
The coffee industry is reeling after the Ethiopian Coffee & Tea Authority (ECTA)...
Feb 2 , 2025 . By HAGOS GEBREAMLAK
The controversy surrounding the Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associ...