And observation begins with listening.
This fundamental, but critical, idea was brought back to life for me over dinner with my two Rwandan friends — Patrick and Emery — last night. They are here visiting the States for the first time, and we’d just come from a Broadway musical. While I’m sure they were looking forward to some carefree conversation — they are exhausted after an almost month-long, jam-packed itinerary — I couldn’t refrain from asking them about the nonprofit sector back at home.
I’ve had the privilege of working on the ground in Rwanda — twice, now — but was curious to ask some new questions. Patrick and Emery both work for a US-based — but Rwandan-run — nonprofit called Between Four Eyes. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that without their passion, dedication and tireless efforts there would be no successful program to speak of at all. But there is. And they are largely to thank.
And that’s exactly the point. International organizations that don’t work directly with local teams are bound to fail. Again, not news, but something that is so important to always remind ourselves of. The guys told me about how even the best-intentioned nonprofits — even those with tremendous ideas and flawless strategy — fail when they don’t first listen. You can do the most amazing work possible and fix a lot of problems, but if you’re not addressing the right problems, how much are you really helping?
It’s hard for us westerners to work internationally and not arrive on the ground with a pre-prescribed solution. But how can we expect to facilitate change if we don’t first know what really needs changing? Assessing the situation — talking to people who live and breath it — is the first, and crucial, step in delivering any worthwhile program.
In essence, this all circles back to the concept of partnership. Working together — truly integrated, and truly collaboratively — is not only the best option, but the only option for success. We can’t reiterate this enough.
Listening is one of Empax’s greatest strengths. It’s how we start every project we engage on. Whether we’re working with an international aid organization or a community-based arts group, the only way that we can do our job successfully is by first hearing our clients. You all have tremendous things to say — really, you do. And it’s amazing how often people — and organizations — are unable to hear themselves. So we have the tremendous pleasure of getting to feed back to our clients what we’ve heard them say — and usually it comes as a delightful surprise. You tell, we listen, we all talk, and together we find solutions.
Image Credit: Melvin Gaal