What would you discuss with a director from a large NGO?
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- Gonk Fetishist
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What would you discuss with a director from a large NGO?
Gurus and wise ones, and gavinmac
After spending a fair bit of time in a couple of 'third world' countries (what's the currently PC term for this, now that they supposedly no longer exist?) checking out some NGO aid programs, including child sponsorship, that we've been involved with in the past, I was banging on to a mate about how corrupt and fraudulent I believe most NGOs to be, especially in Scambodia.
Some time after the conversation he asked permission to put me in touch with a mate who had 'business interests' in Cambodia, and I duly received a phone call from said mate - only to discover that the mate is a director of one of the world's largest NGOs that raises it's dollars through child sponsorship. This bloke was calling for two reasons; first, to offer direct support (yet to be discussed) to my wife and I in Cambodia, and second, to ask if I'd be happy to discuss my concerns about his organisation directly with him.
A bit of a setup by my mate, who clearly has a perverted sense of humour - but you can't blame him as he is a ranga and therefore has no soul. However, I'm meeting this guy later in the week and it seems like too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus, the NGO guy is a seriously great guy, so it's no hardship spending time with him.
So my question is this - NGO bashing seems to be a favourite pastime among you relocated heathens. What are the specific concerns you'd raise with a global NGO with a very significant presence in Cambodia (well, in PP at least, as I've never seen their Lexii out in the provinces)?
After spending a fair bit of time in a couple of 'third world' countries (what's the currently PC term for this, now that they supposedly no longer exist?) checking out some NGO aid programs, including child sponsorship, that we've been involved with in the past, I was banging on to a mate about how corrupt and fraudulent I believe most NGOs to be, especially in Scambodia.
Some time after the conversation he asked permission to put me in touch with a mate who had 'business interests' in Cambodia, and I duly received a phone call from said mate - only to discover that the mate is a director of one of the world's largest NGOs that raises it's dollars through child sponsorship. This bloke was calling for two reasons; first, to offer direct support (yet to be discussed) to my wife and I in Cambodia, and second, to ask if I'd be happy to discuss my concerns about his organisation directly with him.
A bit of a setup by my mate, who clearly has a perverted sense of humour - but you can't blame him as he is a ranga and therefore has no soul. However, I'm meeting this guy later in the week and it seems like too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus, the NGO guy is a seriously great guy, so it's no hardship spending time with him.
So my question is this - NGO bashing seems to be a favourite pastime among you relocated heathens. What are the specific concerns you'd raise with a global NGO with a very significant presence in Cambodia (well, in PP at least, as I've never seen their Lexii out in the provinces)?
The big NGO fish doesn't have a name starting with 'S' by any chance?StroppyChops wrote:the NGO guy is a seriously great guy, so it's no hardship spending time with him.
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- Gonk Fetishist
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No he doesn't, and I'm not prepared to identify him or his NGO directly as I'm 100% sure he's one of the good guys, and he generally wants to address criticisms of his organisation. Globally the NGO has a relatively good reputation among the pack, and I have no specific complaint against it (other than the aforementioned Lexus fleet not being seen outside of PP) in Cambodia. My criticism is aimed at the fraudulent nature of child sponsorship programs in general, regardless of NGOs, and the excessive lifestyles of expat NGO workers compared to the indigenous workers - but I'm curious to know what specific concerns khmer440 posters have when slagging NGOs.Bosco wrote:The big NGO fish doesn't have a name starting with 'S' by any chance?
Last edited by StroppyChops on Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- spitthedog
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What luxury vehicle do you drive and how many bathrooms in your home ?
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
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Is this what you'd ask the NGO guy?spitthedog wrote:What luxury vehicle do you drive and how many bathrooms in your home ?
Aha, it's World Vision.
These NGOs are very tight. You will hear the party line and no more. My experience , albeit mostly from LinkedIn crawls, is that they hire relatively weak finance people. From my discussions with people over the years I believe this to be to allow them as much freedom to spend as possible whilst only having superficial reporting requirements to head office (who also don't really want to know as they need to keep the funding rolling). The only way to find out for sure is to get in amongst them by which time it is not in your interest to expose anything.
Quite a few also delude themselves that they do good work in return for the resources they use. Very few actually do.
These NGOs are very tight. You will hear the party line and no more. My experience , albeit mostly from LinkedIn crawls, is that they hire relatively weak finance people. From my discussions with people over the years I believe this to be to allow them as much freedom to spend as possible whilst only having superficial reporting requirements to head office (who also don't really want to know as they need to keep the funding rolling). The only way to find out for sure is to get in amongst them by which time it is not in your interest to expose anything.
Quite a few also delude themselves that they do good work in return for the resources they use. Very few actually do.
- spitthedog
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Yeah , i reckon all NGO's should drive motorcycles or battered old Camry's and wear them like a badge of honor. Avoids suspicion.StroppyChops wrote:Is this what you'd ask the NGO guy?spitthedog wrote:What luxury vehicle do you drive and how many bathrooms in your home ?
SUV's and Range Rovers are just plain sick.
Just give the buggers beer rations for the month. That's all a man really needs.
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
- Lucky Lucan
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I've done some work with decent NGO's, and they didn't have any fancy cars. Fuck all NGOs drive Lexuses anyway, have you ever even been to this country?
I'm getting a bit fucking bored with your "Scambodia" shit, why don't you take a scamera down to skampot with your scameraderie and take pictures of yourself sticking your scamshaft in a scampfire? Dull cunt.
I'm getting a bit fucking bored with your "Scambodia" shit, why don't you take a scamera down to skampot with your scameraderie and take pictures of yourself sticking your scamshaft in a scampfire? Dull cunt.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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- Gonk Fetishist
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Huh? Where'd that come from - did someone kick you in the ovaries again?Lucky Lucan wrote:I've done some work with decent NGO's, and they didn't have any fancy cars. Fuck all NGOs drive Lexuses anyway, have you ever even been to this country?
I'm getting a bit fucking bored with your "Scambodia" shit, why don't you take a scamera down to skampot with your scameraderie and take pictures of yourself sticking your scamshaft in a scampfire? Dull cunt.
This.Lucky Lucan wrote:I've done some work with decent NGO's, and they didn't have any fancy cars. Fuck all NGOs drive Lexuses anyway, have you ever even been to this country?
I'm getting a bit fucking bored with your "Scambodia" shit, why don't you take a scamera down to skampot with your scameraderie and take pictures of yourself sticking your scamshaft in a scampfire? Dull cunt.
I love LLs posts at night. They cut straight to the point.
- Petrol Head
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1. Why do you hire a white person for a job that a brown person could do far better?StroppyChops wrote: What are the specific concerns you'd raise with a global NGO
2. Why must you constantly hire out the Cambodiana for "workshops"?
3. What is a workshop anyway?
4. How do you transparently account for the kickbacks that go to the goverati in order to get them to attend your workshop?
5. Does your driver get tired shuffling staff from the Elephant Bar to Equinox to Wine and Cheese Wednesdays to First Fridays to Nagabrunch?
6. Why after 5 years here you still refer to 14 year old boys as "bong"?
7. How many times have the organic silk cultivating elderly females of Svay Rieng enjoyed Friday drinks on the roof of the Bkk 1 compound?
8. How many times has that Landcruiser / Ranger / Navara / Patrol / Hilux actually had to use its 4WD capabilities?
9. Does anyone actually want to wear garbage as fashion outside of their 'adventure' to the Third World?
10. How hard does you dick get when you are back in the West at a mixer and someone asks you what you do?
11. Those job ads in the Cambodia Daily...has anyone but the good 'ol development boys ever got one of those? Cmon, be honest.
12. Does the thought that South Sudan maybe the next posting keep you up at night?
13. Why is your salary 200 times higher than your brown assistant?
14. Why do you need to fly business class to that capacity building seminar in Jakarta?
15. Do you have to go to a special school to speak NGO jargon?
16. Oh youre in public health? Why are you not a doctor?
17. Oh youre raising organic vegetables? Why are you not an agronomist?
18. When was the last time you were more than 2 kms from a burrito?
19. When was the last time you were more than 2 kms from a pizza?
20. When was the last time you were more than 2 kms from a frozen margarita?
21. When was the last time you were more than 2 kms from a burger?
22. Hows that $2000 per month villa working out for you?
23. How do you cope when the pool boy heads back to Kampong wherever for Pchum Ben?
24. Where are you buying your quinoa these days?
25. Do you know how much Sam Rainsy is doing for the Cambodian people?
AND
26. Oh you are in anti trafficking ? Why are you not a cop. Oh wait...
Haha - my money’s on Playboy
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- Gonk Fetishist
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^ That's pretty comprehensive PH, I'd mock you for having too much time on your hands but I value your response. What are number 7 and 9 about?
- Barang_doa_slae
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A brother of mine was until very recently head of the biggest NGO syndicate in Bruxelles (Lobbying work that is).
He doesn't have any luxury item, beater for a car, bicycles everywhere and passionate about his job so not counting the hours for a salary in the 4k € range.
He agreed with what I think about NGO (basically same as all here) and admitted easily that plenty if not most of work done in countries like Cambodia was unfortunately counter effective. He also explained clearly that many jobs are at stake and that well paid people are doing all they can to safekeep their piece of the cake.
His own beliefs have more to do about raising civil society voice against multinationals and banksters influence, so freedom, solidarity and environmentalism ideas can persists.
I was quite impressed by his open minded, yet realistic views on the matter.
Back on the topic, petrol head questions are good, print his list
He doesn't have any luxury item, beater for a car, bicycles everywhere and passionate about his job so not counting the hours for a salary in the 4k € range.
He agreed with what I think about NGO (basically same as all here) and admitted easily that plenty if not most of work done in countries like Cambodia was unfortunately counter effective. He also explained clearly that many jobs are at stake and that well paid people are doing all they can to safekeep their piece of the cake.
His own beliefs have more to do about raising civil society voice against multinationals and banksters influence, so freedom, solidarity and environmentalism ideas can persists.
I was quite impressed by his open minded, yet realistic views on the matter.
Back on the topic, petrol head questions are good, print his list
- Petrol Head
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Haw haw haw. You're a good sport S.C. You mean you don't know about Friday night NGO drinks? You aint been 'round son.
Also, you haven't seen Westerners getting around in Vietnamese catfish feed burlap sacks?
Also, you haven't seen Westerners getting around in Vietnamese catfish feed burlap sacks?
Last edited by Petrol Head on Tue Feb 25, 2014 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Haha - my money’s on Playboy
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