CORRUPTION AND LOCAL NGO'S.

International nonprofit partners, the United Nations among other donating organizations have forever doubted the ability of Kenyan NGO’s to show accountability of funds.

Strangely this perception on Kenyan NGO’s is strong, compared to other African countries. It has been ranked as the worlds top 20 corrupt countries.

See:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/dec/01/corruption-index-2011-transparency-international#data.

 Hence, other supportive bodies from the West have found reasons not to trust local Non Profit organizations.

Consequently this has resulted to an increasing number of Western Founders or in senior positions within Kenyan Non- Governmental organizations. By rogue or default they view locals of being ‘corrupt’.

One would wonder why a local NGO is often funded, only when a foreigner is in the Financial or Management department. 

According to observed analysis from local Nonprofits organizations, majority of international bodies which offer support tends to trust their own. This is mainly because the locals here are labeled corrupt or unsustainable. 

However, this notion is negative and the perception of local Nonprofits being corrupt is a terrible mistake.

Children in class at Mogra Centre located along Kiambu road.

According to Founder of Mogra Home, Hannah Wairimu , the same people trusted from the west with funds end up disappointing on accountability and blame it on Local organizations. “If they apply their decisions on who to support on the basis of locals being corrupt, they are mistaken.” She retorts.

Mogra Children’s home is among the few nonprofit organizations in Kenya that have been victims of false corrupt accusations.

The home has seen its fair share of controversies since the year 1998 when it was formed.  At least three foreigners intended to damage the organization’s credibility. 

Last month an Australian female was charged for cheating authorities that Mogra children’s home was mistreating children. 

Brenda Alsop joined the home early 2011 as a volunteer accountant. She allegedly told police that Founders of the home were misusing funds which led to a series of impromptus investigations. 

Police were disappointed after they established the information was malicious and untrue. In addition the Australian did not cooperate during investigations which prompted her arrest.

Read: http://my-kenyan-eye.blogspot.com/2012/06/australian-in-custody-for-cheating.html

Located along Kiambu road the home runs a school with over 900 children and 65 staff.  Mostly brought in by social workers from District Officer centers the center caters for children aged between 3 to 18 years.

Mogra Founder, Hannah Wairimu during a press interview.

It was founded together with her husband as a Co-Founder. The have seen Mogra grow to inspire a few into universities , employment and stable lives.

Apart from the recent incident, back in 2009 a British female residing in Kenya misled the organization to an episode of drama. She registered Mogra home in the UK as a different branch. The feeding program stated required Ksh 14,000,000 million (120,000 Pounds).

She had convinced the Management a local and UK partnership would establish a future for the children until she disappeared with the money in 2011. When donors obliged to the budget of the Feeding Program, the children would not access the facilities as stated in the contract.

“We came to realize too late that she was enriching herself by using these helpless children. People need to scrutinize reasons for partnership because some have selfish interests. They say that Africans are thieves and not to be trusted, yet it’s the same foreigners when granted finances have proved to be corrupt.” Says Mogra Co-Founder David Njoroge .

Farming:Part of the sustainability project for the Home.

“When the Briton left with the money the Children starved for a while. Amazingly the organization recuperated through local and international well-wishers.” Wairimu recalls in bitterness.

Aged in her 50’s with mother instincts, her experience resulted into sustainability for the home. Today the children’s home occupies a piece of land with cows producing up to 20 liters a day among other crops for daily consumption.

Despite the challenges and negative experiences with foreigners the road is still on to help the children. “It is like a calling for us .We will continue to do as our vision projects. But if only our own locals would stop dependency syndrome and help more.” Wairimu says.

For her  it’s a lesson well learned , not to trust  people easily. “These are the same people who come to sweep off resources and return to their county to invest because they have limited opportunities in their countries.” She concludes.