Our geography teacher and child partner to Hajarah continues in response to our questions…
Critically, does your partnership make a difference?
“Yes, I believe it does, although I remain cautious about the impact of wealthy westerners spreading financial largesse in less developed parts of the world. This is a dilemma I still fail to reconcile. My impression is that Quicken Trust has had an overwhelmingly beneficial impact on lives in Kabbubu – it seems to have striven to minimise the creation of aid dependency and I ask myself, ‘why would I NOT support its work’?”
Is the difference immediate?
“I believe so. This differentiates Quicken Trust from the larger development charities. The impact of financial support is clearly identifiable at an individual level.”
Is there anything about your contribution that could be described as a contribution to long term sustainability?
“This is a worry. Does my contribution help to promote aid dependency? Does my contribution help to distort social relationships within the Kabbubu community and within my partnered child’s family that are less than positive? The answer is, possibly or probably… However, Quicken Trust is striving to achieve sustainable development for the community at large through their various agricultural, employment and health-care initiatives. I don’t feel that ‘doing nothing’ is an appropriate response to my reservations about the impact of my contribution and I am unaware of a better conduit than Quicken Trust through which to contribute.”
If you have a treasure trove of photos, they would be wonderful to see!
“When visiting Kabbubu I avoided taking photos – it feels too much like development voyeurism.”
Hajarah is now nearing the top of her Kabubbu Primary School education despite her parents both struggling without regular income – Mum’s a gardener; Dad quarries stones… Our thanks to Hajarah’s partner for his thoughts and for years of generosity.
Watch the vision unfold in Kabubbu Uganda