A recent report released by the International Institute of Environment and Development revealed some startling information about the inefficiency in a recent project in Africa that involved creating clean water supplies.

According to the report, and to an article in The Guardian by Annie Kelly, ”$360 million has been spent on building boreholes and wells that then become useless because they are not maintained or fixed when they break down. As a result, 50,000 water supply points are not functioning across rural Africa.”

Subsequently, more than half of the current boreholes are broken or not functioning properly, and the people expected to run and maintain these waterholes (those living in the villages) don’t have the means or the knowledge to fix them.

Says Jamie Skinner, author of the report, “There is no point an external agency coming in, putting in a drill-hole and then passing it over to the local community if they can’t afford to maintain it over the next 10 or 20 years,” he says. “There needs to be a proper assessment of just how much local people are able to finance these water points. It’s not enough to just drill and walk away.”

As we see time and again, without fully considering the socioeconomic and political climates of the area a program is being introduced to, there is a diminished chance of the program being successful. It’s the equivalent of giving a man a fish instead of teaching him how to catch it himself. Eventually, the fish will run out and the man (or in most cases, the village) won’t have any means or skills to continue feeding himself. Enabling people by providing them skills is much more valuable than handing them something they can’t use, that will eventually run out.  

It’s a shame and a waste of money, time, and energy to implement these programs that have such great intentions and potential. If only these NGOs and non-profits took the time to fully evaluate the needs and abilities of the people and the area, our time, money, and energy would be so much better spent.

To see the full report, click here.

There has been lots of chatter lately about the Mexican drug industry and the increasing violence it has perpetuated, as word of an aggressive plan initiated by the new administration spreads. The increased violence has been fueled by the easy access to guns available in U.S. locations just over the border.

It’s only now that the problematic Mexican drug trade is receiving the attention it merits. Mainstream media are presenting the issue as a threat to our own livlihood, to our children, and to our general well-being. The truth is, the people of Mexico have suffered these same threats as a reality for many years, and much of it has received no attention at all. It wasn’t until our own safety and well being became compromised that the issue became the focus of so much attention. According to the article:

“Although barely reported in the U.S. press, citizens of Juárez (and other cities or towns) have accused the military of serious human rights violations since President Felipe Calderón launched his 2006 crackdown on narco-trafficking, including beating people for “confessions,” electrical torture, rape, and the practice of enclosing heads in plastic bags filled with water to simulate (or achieve) drowning.”

It’s hard to ignore the fact that we as a country play a significant role in the demand of the very drugs being funneled to the U.S., but that irony is rarely recognized. Without taking that into serious consideration, it’s unlikely that the war on drugs will ever be won. If we’re not willing to look at ourselves and take our share of the blame, it will be impossible to placate the violence, death, and illegal trafficking that plagues the Mexican-U.S. border.

“Mexico is right to insist that the U.S. truly acknowledge the extent to which its own citizens (and policies) create and sustain the consumer market for illicit drugs. There’s no getting around the fact that Americans have the highest illicit substance use and abuse rates in the world, and Mexican drug cartels are but the latest of our transnational network of ’suppliers.’ “

To read the full article, click here.