Charities & NGOs: Real Help or Dependency?

On Sunday 4 October, the Mwepesi English Club talked about a question that matters a lot in our region: "Charities and NGOs: do they really solve problems, or do they create dependency?"

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT Every year, millions of people make a donation to a charity or an NGO. These organisations raise money to build schools, dig wells, fight disease and feed families in crisis. In many parts of the DRC, including the Copperbelt, NGOs and the social projects of mining companies provide services that people cannot find anywhere else.

But help can also have a negative consequence. When a community receives free food, money or equipment for many years, people may stop looking for their own solutions. This is called aid dependency. Critics also say that charities sometimes compete for money and spend more on marketing and offices rather than on helping people. Supporters answer that the problem is not charity itself, but bad charity: the best organisations train local leaders and work towards self-reliance.

WORDS WE LEARNED • donation: money or goods that you give to help people who need them • raise money: to collect money from other people for a particular purpose • consequence: a result of something that has happened, often a bad one • aid dependency: when people rely on outside help for so long that they stop developing their own solutions • compete: to try to get something that other people also want • rather than: instead of • self-reliance: the ability to take care of yourself without outside help

THE DEBATE Motion: "Charities and NGOs create more dependency than they solve problems." • Is it better to give people fish or to teach them how to fish? • Should NGOs leave a community after a fixed number of years? • Should foreign NGOs be replaced by local organisations and the government?

What do you think? Come and share your opinion at the Club.

Join us! The Club meets every Sunday from 4 pm to 6 pm (16h–18h) at CS Les Bourgeons, 4th Avenue (Lufira), Biashara, Kolwezi. It's free and open to all levels, from A2 to C2. Call or WhatsApp: +243 970 400 321

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