Lessons I Learned

A friend just sent me this photo…

Like with hero-worshiping in the social sector, when the media and then general public praises and supports a model which sounds like a quick fix to big problems, we get copy cats. Now we’re not only “giving things away” once, we’re giving DOUBLE things….. oh goodness.

It will be great if we can harness these great intentions all of the purchasers have and use these popular brands to steer us towards support which is about BUILDING markets and skills rather than increasing dependencies on aid. I recently wrote a piece about how we might be able to use the popularity of a brand like TOMS (the company BOBS above is copying) to help steer people away from giving things and towards investing time in people.

Did anyone see that TOMS recently launched an eyewear line where each pair “helps give sight to a person in need”? What do you think about this new eyewear line which is partnering with an NGO rather than giving shoes away? Share your thoughts!

In many parts of Asia, it’s rude to brag about your kids. Actually, in Cambodia, you can’t even brag about other people’s kids, especially when they are small, as bad spirits might take them away for being too fabulous.  But moms…. can you brag about your mom? I guess, with countries that respect age hierarchies, I’d have to ask my mom if I could brag about her…. but she’d say no. (Actually, when she knew that I saw this article online she threatened to kill me if I wrote any form of cheesy comment on the comment chain.)

So, out of respect for my elders, and fear for my life, I will refrain from commenting on the site. Instead, I will post the link here.

Here’s an article about my mom, who just retired. She rocks, no matter if I am allowed to say it or not!

http://www.newcastlenow.org/index.php/article/new_a_tribute_to_mrs._pat_papi_first_grade_teacher_extraordinaire_retiring

When it comes to “investing time in people”, there is no better way to do that than as an educator, and my mom continues to model that for me, and so many others. If every person just invested in their own kids, and a few others around them, with as much love and time as she does with each student, we’d all believe we could be anything great in the world and then go out and do that….  So, go tell a kid you think they are BRILLIANT today (maybe no need to remind little girls that they are beautiful) – and help them open up to their own possibility of greatness!

This past week, Alexia Nestora of the blog Voluntourism Gal, hosted a voluntourism conference. I did a presentation about “Learning Service”, rather than “Service Learning”, and was specifically vocal about my disdain for Orphanage Tourism. I was afraid I would get tomatoes thrown at me…. but instead a lot of people agreed with the experiences and opinions I shared, which I was grateful for! Here is a video Alexia compiled from the event.

Sorry for the delay in getting this up! I spent last week on a camping training trip with one of our partner organizations and some of our PEPY staff and then the last few days feeling sick and trying to get better!  So, better later than never we hope, we are some notes which were put together by some of us who attended the June 11th “Investing Time in People” meeting in San Francisco.  This first meeting was very ad hoc and one of the main lessons I personally took out of it is that it would have been great to have a variety of speakers/panels to add to our workshop-ing, which is something I am sure we will look into for future meetings.  In the meantime, read up, and please comment on if/how you’d like to see/be a part of furthering/improving this conversation in the future!
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Investing Time in People: Summarizing the First Meeting

On June 11^th, a group of us gathered in San Francisco for a meeting we entitled “Investing Time in People” (ITP). Here is the introduction slideshow used to open up the day:

We came with separate but united interests in seeing sector-wide pattern changes and growth in these two areas:

Organizations that ‘invest time in people’. Our beliefs hold that the best development work takes a flexible, adaptive, patient approach and devotes a substantial amount of human energy to the problem at hand. To change attitudes and actions and reach the global goals we have for the world takes more than things. For examples: Schools don’t teach kids. People do.

To achieve changes in attitudes and actions like fostering a culture of literacy, improving teacher and student attendance, or helping students gain more viable skills for future employment takes more than a focus on buildings and books. We believe in supporting models with a larger focus of “investing time in people” to put those things to use such as teacher training, leadership training for teachers and school directors, developing great curriculum, involving parents in the formal education of their children, establishing after school specialized learning programs, and of course working with the local government and communities to be the leaders in this change.

Many popular charity models focus on “giving things away”. For example, with water organizations, there are a number of groups focused on giving away expensive wells and pumps. This can create a lack of ownership, and the fact that deep-well parts are expensive often leaves them abandoned after they break. An ITP approach would be one supporting the development of affordable and locally sourced pumps and filtration options or one that invests time in helping people to acquire the skills needed to create well repair businesses. These type of model help ensure that even if the wells do break, there are local resources on hand to fix them right away.

We want to see more support for solutions that choose long-term approaches to sustainability. Financial sustainability is an easy concept to grasp. We also believe that long-term sustainability can be achieved when we help people acquire the skills, networks, systems and inspiration to create their own successful paths towards their goals.

Donors that funnel their resources to these types of high impact organizations. Recognizing that development work can cause more harm than good when not implemented properly, the meeting aimed to discuss how donors can be educated about effective development work, and what to look for when they make their donations. We don’t think the issue is as much about expanding the pie as it is about reallocating the already existing good intentions towards higher impact programs. (For more on this, see our “Why rating systems are probably not the answer” post coming out in the next few days!)

Our task was ambiguous and large-scale: defining the problem and exploring some ideas for how to make this philosophy a mainstream discussion and how to turn an idea into ACTION.

One of our main goals was to change the cocktail party conversation around international development work from:

Current conversation:

A: “I funded a school in Cambodia. See, here is a picture of it with my name on it!”

B: Oh, that’s nice. Maybe I should do that too!

to

Future goal:

A: “I am part of an organization that is committed to improving ABC situation. We do that by supporting to are leadership and all those who are also among those in ABC situation with the skills, resources, models, and supportive energy needed to help them reach their goals. Or goal is to help them achieve their XYZ goal in the changes of attitudes and actions* of people and we’re committed to monitoring and evaluating our impact as we test systems of reaching those goals.  *(aka X% improvement in literacy rates rather than  X # of books given away)

B: Oh, that’s nice. Maybe I should do that too!

Or

A: “I funded a school in Cambodia. See, here is a picture of it with my name on it!”

B: Ohhhh……. Ummm…… well, did you invest in people as well? How are you catalyzing improvements in the quality of education offered as opposed to just providing a place for people to gather? HOW will the learning happen and be improved?”

A: Oh! You already get the “Investing Time in People” model, that’s awesome! Well, let me tell you about how the community based organization we were working with is improving education in their community…..”

We started the meeting by framing the situation and goals:

We then came up with many potential paths to getting donors and NGO workers to focus on the idea of “Investing time in people” – instead of things. Some ideas included:

• Creating an online system for publishing information on different organizations
• Using transparency as an evaluation tool through an only platform
• Creating an independent advocacy group that was privately funded
• Grassroots information sharing through small private events made up of high net worth donors and foundations
• Creating an online commitment page
• An  “I ask questions” campaign aimed at encouraging dialogue and research before giving

So what are we going to do? We’re going to take it one step at a time. For now, we will set up a simple website, have meetings with some organizations we think can further this discussion and in the coming months, we’ll meet again.

We’re also going to create a paper asking thought and movement leaders (especially those who are putting together popular conferences) to consider adding more:

• Local voices to the conversation: speakers and panelists from communities who have been impacted by foreign “aid” to reflected on what is working and what is causing harm
• Debate and discussion around METHODOLOGIES rather than organizations and forums to share these lessons learned
• Publicize the danger of ‘hero worship’ in development work and encourage more focus on successful models so that social movements move beyond the cult of the personality
• Focus on highlighting market based solutions and capacity building initiatives

Our first goal is to gather a community of like-minded people and those interested in engaging in this debate and then finding how we can all add value in elevating this conversation globally. Think you’ve got a better approach or ideas to share? Then post your comments below.

In the meantime, those wanting to know more about ITP can check us out here (updates coming soon): www.investingtimeinpeople.org.

Guest Post By Allie Hoffman of The Pari Project

The development sector is famous for acronyms and grand plans. William Easterly calls them ‘the Planners’ – those who have fixed, set ideas about what is going to work, and are slow to change course. But he points out that history has shown that it’s the ‘Searchers’ who are able to have the most positive impact through their work because they are the ones who are willing to learn and adjust as they go. I have found this to be true time and time again in the 6 years I have been living in Cambodia working in the development sector.

I recently returned from a Starting Bloc (www.startingbloc.org) conference in New York City, where I was amongst a group of 150 social innovators exposed to an array of speakers whose titles included the following:

-       Vice President of Strategy

-       Transformative Action Director

-       Social Impact Management Director

-       Sustainable Career Coach

Usually when I come out into ‘the real world’, I encounter people like the ones listed above who are keen to tell me about what works in places like Cambodia, and how convinced they are that they have the answer/salve/solution/remedy/grand plan to fix all that is broken.

But this time was different: I was astounded to hear these speakers iterate ideas about development work that I have been formulating for years – namely that the best development and social enterprise work happens when you learn as you go, when you adopt flexibility and adaptability as core principles, and when you build from the bottom up.

Here are some highlights from the speakers consistent with these themes:

- Hubris is necessary for great ideas to penetrate, but humility is even more important.  If an idea is really valuable, then its creator needs to seed it, then abandon it. The only change that matters, is the change that happens after you leave.

- Hone your gut. You’re going to fail, and fail hard. Each time, get back up and eventually you’ll fall shorter distances.

- The cult of the personality is dead; citizen driven movements are far more representative.

- Share your ideas, resources and information; don’t go into partnerships thinking about what you can get out of it, but what you might learn. Collaboration is key; help people without being concerned about the outcomes, and 9 times out of 10, you’ll benefit in the long run.

- Do not rely on overly simplistic views of human nature. This is the reason the “Planners” fail time and time again – there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to meeting people’s needs.

It was phenomenal to me to see that there’s been a seismic shift in how development work is being articulated and approached. Salvation (“we’re going to save the poor!”), and guilt (“…and I’m going to do it cause I feel guilty about how much I have!”) often fail to support bottom-up approaches that empower and integrate, all while taking a long-term perspective. Having so many people reiterate the feelings I have been having and lessons I have been learning through my work in Cambodia makes me hopeful for the future. Those in San Francisco on June 11^th should join us for a meeting that aims to put action to these ideas. To learn more: www.investingtimeinpeople.org

Helpful links:

www.startingbloc.org

www.purpose.com

www.transformativeaction.org

www.institute3.org/blog

www.alexiavernon.com

www.hatchery.vc

www.aidwatchers.com

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This is a guest post by Allie Hoffman of The Parivartan Project. Pari is a social enterprise whose purpose is to empower the citizen sector; to do this, they provide fundraising, marketing and organizational development services. To learn more: www.thepariproject.com

About two years ago I made a decision and announced to those I worked with at PEPY that I would be leaving Cambodia in two years. Now, as I near leaving a job/life/family I have spent the last six years building, part of me wishes I had said three years instead of two! But, I know it is time to go. I have known for a long time that I was not wired to sustain an organization in the long run, and that I certainly am not qualified to run an education organization in Cambodia for many reasons, one of the main reasons being that I am not Cambodian nor do I plan to try to be.

The timing will never feel 100% right – there will always be a long list of things I still want to accomplish, holes I want to fill in our organization, improvements I want to make, people I want to spend more time with, places I still want to visit or go back to, lunches I want to have a Sam Sok/Ban Chao/Chanleas Dai with our great team, etc. I will always wish I had a few more months to get things in line, which is how I feel now. But, I am THRILLED that we have two fabulous new Khmer members of our senior management team (Layheng Ting and Samal Khath) who bring a broad range of experiences to PEPY’s programs and who are much more qualified to run PEPY into the future than I am.  Yet it still is hard to leave…

I might be leaving Cambodia, but I am surely not leaving PEPY, as I will be in the board, but more than that, it will be in my heart and mind every day. I will still be involved with PEPY Tours though the fabulous Anna, Chor, and Sela are now running the show by themselves as it is and will continue to do great things in the field of development education tourism. Gosh, there is just so much I want to stay and be a part of! But continuing my own education calls, and it’s time to listen.

So, I decided to write down 20 things I learned here in the last 6 years. I could probably write to 100, and these surely are not in any order of importance, but they are reminders to myself of why it is hard to leave, and how much I have grown through this process.

Through my time at PEPY, I have learned (In no particular order):

1)   While ideas are fun and passion is contagious, action is what achieves goals.

2)   As someone focused on “doing”, planning can sometimes seem like a waste of time, a distraction from progress, and a bit like drawing a map to somewhere you have never been to… you know you are going to draw it wrong. Yet, I’ve come to learn that planning helps us “doers” achieve goals faster, avoid mistakes, and cause less chaos.  Hence, every “doer” needs a plan. (Thanks to all those who have helped me realize this and helped me become better at planning! Still a work in progress!)

3)   Failures are inevitable. If you don’t talk about them, they become the elephant in the temple, and elephants in ancient temples are hard to hide. Admitting failures, learning from mistakes made, and sharing those lessons with others so they can learn not only helps us better achieve our own goals but can help others achieve theirs.

4)   Complaining can ease your frustration for a little while, much in the same way that chocolate can help a bad mood. But then it wears off. Working through a problem, partnering with those you might previously have considered “wrong”, and seeking to understand (as a wise friend always reminds me), achieve more than just stamping your feet.

5)   It’s the TEAM that matters. Leaders can only stand alone if they are Atlas, but even he got tired. Real humans need really great teams to achieve success.

6)   Leadership is more about building a team, sharing inspiration, and holding strongly onto shared core values than it is about holding a flag and walking a group of tourists off a plane.

7)   Changing attitudes and actions takes time…. LOTS of time. We don’t change our behaviors and our opinions because someone else tells us to, because someone gave us something, or because we are paid to. In other words, if you want to invest in sustainable change, you need to invest in the long term.

8)   Investing time in people is better than giving things away.

9)   Schools don’t teach kids. People do.

10) The only way to improve your family, your community, your country, or your world, is to start by improving yourself. (Thanks for reminding us, Chor!)

11) Some people don’t believe it’s possible. Ignore them. It’s ALWAYS possible. IT might change though, and YOU might change. If you want to achieve it, you need to stop listening to those who say it’s not possible, build a team of people who know it is, and work your butt off. IT wont happen on its own or just because YOU believe in it. IT will happen because you MAKE it happen through your hard work, inspiring others to work hard too, and because you are willing to learn, change, and adapt as you go.

12) Development education in the WEST is what is most needed to improve our impact on the REST. If we keep throwing money at problems, keep investing in ideas which have been proven to fail, and continue to feed our egos by focusing on helping the here and now rather than helping for tomorrow by starting with better educating our children, we will continue to create the same problems that those before us faced.

13) We HAVE to learn before we can help.

14) We vote with our money. Anytime we pay for something, whether it is buying a plastic bottle or giving money to a child on the street, we are voting for more of that in the world.

15) People CAN change. If we love them, work with them, and invest our time to help them develop the skills, connections, ideas, and inspiration they need to reach their goals.

16) YOU can change. I can change. I’m NOT even close to who I want to be if I grow up. I can only change if I know and admit my weaknesses, set goals for how I want to be as a person, as a leader, as a friend – then set goals for where I want to be and be open to hearing feedback which might help me get there.

17) Communal living (especially after reaching 30) can be the most challenging, but more often the most rewarding experience.

18) Cambodia is HOT in April. Except when “Global Messing Up” makes April cool and windy. Our earth is in trouble. We need to do something (MANY somethings) about that. Yesterday.

19) An organization will only be as successful as it can be if each person on the team feels invested in creating the vision, believes in the cause they are working towards, feels safe to share their criticism and new ideas, and is working on bettering themselves to achieve their own personal goals as well as those of the organization.

20) PEPY People are some of the best people in the world.  As my friend John once wrote, it’s all about the people. I’m delighted to have had so many of you become a part of my life and mold me into what I am becoming and who I want to be.

These are all things I now “understand”… it doesn’t mean I yet DO them well. I’m a work in progress, as my friend Yut always says. We all are. If we think we’ve reached it, we’re either kidding ourselves, about to die, or about to be REALLY bored. So, as I head out into the world-beyond-PEPY, though I’m sad to leave my second family here behind, I’m equipped with the knowledge that the only way we can improve the world is by improving ourselves…. so here I go!  Wish me luck!

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If you too have spent time here with PEPY in the last six years, add a lesson you have learned in the comments below…. please, and thank you!

Everyone wants to “support girls”. Being a girl myself, I think that is great and all…. but let’s not forget the boys! In Cambodia, there are many sectors which only provide jobs to women: many garment factories only employ women for their line jobs, there are many silk weaving programs and NGO interventions targeting women’s skills training, and a few years ago I visited a crab canning factory in Kep which only employed women as well. Come to think of it, a lot of time the people who are employed to flatten the salt flats in Kep are also all women (with male supervisors pushing them on, but that’s another post…).

Yet there are very few employment options for young men. This leads to a culture in the cities where men sit on street corners (if I want to further a stereotype, or perhaps a generalization, I would add “playing cards”), waiting for someone to come by who wants to hire them for a motorbike ride. Many of these young men would like to find employment, but with such a young population and high unemployment rates, sitting on a ‘moto’ waiting all day for a customer is the best option they have found.

The Iron Workshop/The Craft House in Siem Reap is now doing men-only skills training in jobs like iron work, brick laying, plumbing, air-conditioning repair, etc. We partnered with them at PEPY to support their expansion and we’re hoping this organization focused on investing time in people will help more young men in Cambodia find gainful employment and empower them to continue to share their new skills with others.

So, next time I get an email saying “and we’d like to support education for girls”, I’ll remind them that boys need education to connect them to the skills they need to reach their goals too!