Hopes and fears from the field

I just got back from a month in Zambia, where I visited all three of the camps where FORGE works. As I visited our projects and spoke with our staff, it became abundantly clear what’s at stake here. The irony, as Kjerstin mentioned, is that our programming is stronger than ever. FORGE’s ability to make concrete, lasting change in the lives of these refugees is palpable, and I’ve never been so impressed by the expertise and passion of our refugee staff. Yet, I’ve never been so scared that FORGE might not make it through all of this. It’s bittersweet to be knocked off your feet with progress that you know is in real danger of being seriously stunted, or stopped altogether. More than ever (and that’s saying a lot) I’m convinced that FORGE’s presence in these camps is making a critical difference in refugees’ lives and that shutting down our projects would be a crippling blow to these communities – both immediately and in the long run.

 

In Meheba Settlement I met with Anthony, the refugee leader of one of FORGE’s first projects planned by the refugees themselves. For the past six months, Anthony has been working with his community to develop the FORGE Health Service, a project that will provide basic health treatment and health education to a community that has been without a clinic for almost six years. Typically a quiet man, Anthony’s excitement when he spoke of the project was contagious, and his pride of all that he and his community had accomplished was inspiring. He spoke eagerly about the valuable leadership and business skills he’s acquired throughout this process and the respect and trust he’s gained in his community. But, most strikingly, he felt totally prepared and confident in his ability to spearhead future community development initiatives – next time without FORGE’s help. Anthony is determined that he can – and will – use the skills he learned to solve problems in the future, rather than relying on outside help or guidance.

 

The impact extends beyond even that. Anthony proudly related to me the importance of his role in the community. He said that by listening to the community and turning their input into action, he had empowered the people of Meheba to speak their mind. He is now approached consistently by his peers who want to discuss their ideas, opinions, and concerns. Because of Anthony’s work through FORGE, the community is suddenly vibrant and proactive, and people are thinking about possibilities rather than problems. He says they finally feel like they have a voice – and they’re using it.

 

The trip was not all inspiration and progress, though. Part of my mission on the ground was to work with our Project Managers to cut project budgets in half for the next four months. After a few agonizing days, we came up with a plan that will allow the projects to survive on the limited funding FORGE has available in the short term. We had to lay off many valuable employees (more than half in one camp), and supply budgets are shockingly low – most projects in Meheba settlement have less than $20 a month to spend on materials like notebooks, pencils and chalk—the modest resources that keep projects running. The community was hit hard by the news, partly because of the cutbacks, but mostly out of a fear that FORGE is preparing to leave. Refugees are no strangers to abandonment and broken promises. They have seen too many nonprofit organizations come and go. When we told them that the budget cuts were meant to keep FORGE in the camp and not as the beginning of the end, they were, as whole, relieved. “We understand budget problems and lack of resources,” Wakilongo, the Kala Community Driven Repatriation Center Project Coordinator told me, “We just fear FORGE leaving. We can make it work as long as we can work together.”

 

My thoughts exactly.