“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”

To operate sustainably, it is crucial that NGOs consider the long-term effects of their projects. The type of assistance that helps the recipient to help themselves is sustainable. As shown by the fishing man, empowering people to be active in their own well-being will continue to provide positive returns in the future, even after aid programmes have concluded.

The process of empowerment should therefore be the heart of the work of NGOs in Malta seeking to strengthen the abilities of people, communities, and institutions, to help people be stronger and less vulnerable. Empowerment is concerned with the process through which people, groups and organisations obtain resources and develop skills that grant them the tools to have more control over their lives. These people can then go on to support the empowerment of other people in the community.

Some proposals to strengthen and empower the civil society through local NGOs:

· Information: providing information on issues directly affecting the people/communities concerned;

· Public Consultation: the population should be consulted on issues that NGOs have perceived as problematic, so their interests are represented in the organisation’s decision making;

· Grassroots level participation: encourage people to commit themselves to achieving the objectives of the project, involving them in the design, implementation, and evaluation of projects;

· Mobilisation: encouraging local communities to take the initiative, in an independent manner, and NGOs back up the process;

· Long-term planning: integration of short-, medium-, and long-term goals into project design

Empowering approaches prevent treatment of people and communities affected as passive, dependent receptors of aid, which would worsen their vulnerabilities in the long-run when programmes end and NGO involvement diminishes. Participation at the grassroots level is key to the development process of capacities and empowerment, as the strengthening of capacities demands that beneficiaries participate in the activities of programmes and distribution of assistance, with the aim of respecting their needs and priorities. This allows the local population to be the main actors in programmes in their interest, instead of relegating them to mere receptors of aid. NGOs need to trust that, when equipped with information, local peoples are capable of decision making in their own best interests.

Equipping citizens with the knowledge and skills to advocate for their interests long-term ensures that their interests and perspectives are respected, and that good intentions of NGOs are realised through a lasting and sustainable approach.

For NGOs, please fill out this short survey assessing sustainable aid practices in Malta: https://forms.gle/mv1TPNcGhLEA2BCEA

by Georgia Mifsud, University of Cambridge

For further reading see:

Peinado, M. “The Role of NGOs and The Civil Society in Peace and Reconciliation Processes”