Why Small Charity Projects Succeed Where Billion-Dollar Aid Programmes Fail
- Benny Dembitzer
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 13 minutes ago
By Benny Dembitzer | Author of The Global Famine Game
In 55 years working across 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, I've witnessed countless development projects. Grand initiatives backed by billions. Ambitious programmes launched with celebrity endorsements and glossy brochures.
Most of them failed.
But I've also seen projects that worked - genuinely transformed communities and lifted people out of poverty. They share something in common: they're almost always small, local, and led by people who understand that development cannot be imposed from above.
The Failures We Keep Repeating
History offers us three colossal experiments in development, yet we ignore their lessons.
The Failures of "Top-Down"
The Groundnut Scheme (1946-1951): Britain tried to turn Tanzania into a massive groundnut plantation. Ignoring soil conditions and local knowledge, the military-led operation wasted resources and damaged the land, yielding virtually nothing.
The Great Leap Forward (1958-1962): China’s attempt to force industrialization imposed unrealistic targets on farmers. The result was the deadliest famine in history—entirely man-made.
The Green Revolution (1960s-1980s): While hailed for increasing production, it devastated India’s water table and bypassed small-scale farmers, leading to long-term dependency and recent mass protests.
The Common Flaw - These disasters were designed by powerful outsiders—politicians in London, officials in Beijing, scientists in Mexico—who viewed local people as problems to solve rather than partners.
What Actually Works - Genuine development looks different. In Malawi and Kenya, I’ve seen successful projects run by village women. They use local materials (compost, not imported fertilizer), grow diverse crops, and organize their own support groups. There are no grand headquarters or glossy reports—just patient, decades-long work driven by the community itself.
The Principles of Success
It’s Small: Avoiding bureaucracy allows for adaptation.
It’s Long-term: Transformation takes a generation, not a 5-year funding cycle.
It’s Locally Led: Resources must go to those who know the land (usually older women).
It’s Holistic: You cannot fix food security without addressing water, storage, and markets.
Why Donors Get It Wrong - Donors crave quick stats and photos for fundraising. A woman teaching composting doesn't make headlines like a new school building does. Yet, I’ve seen countless schools and wells abandoned because no one was trained to maintain them. When donors prioritize "outputs" over impact, communities are left dependent and cynical.
How to Help - Stop supporting organizations spread thin across the globe. Look for small initiatives that have stayed in one specific place for years. Ask: Are locals leading? What is the plan for when funding stops?
Real change requires deep local knowledge, not a marketing budget.
Learn More
The Global Famine Game draws on 55 years of first-hand experience to expose why international aid keeps failing - and what genuine development actually requires.
If you've ever wondered why poverty persists despite decades of effort and trillions of dollars, this book will give you answers.
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