NGOs face charity crisis

The Executive Director, Uganda National NGO Forum Richard Sewakiryanga has deemed the growth of NGOs as a sign of increasing problems in the country. He said this yesterday during a book launch at Protea Hotel .

The book written by Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana, the Executive Director Foundation for Human Rights Initiative highlights the plight NGOs in third world countries.

Non-governmental organisations and civil society have a well-established role in Uganda’s development. Many of these NGOs concentrate on providing services to communities especially in the fields of poverty eradication, education and health.

Having many of these NGOs would be something to boast about as a country, unfortunately according to Sewakiryanga, the growth of NGOs in Uganda is a sign that there are more problems in the country.

“The growth of NGOs has become so fast, there are so many people who are registering groups but that tells you something. The more people register groups is a sign that there are more problems in the country not because there are solutions”

The growth of non-governmental organisations at both international and national level high depends on the attitudes of donors about development aid and the prevailing situations in different countries especially third world counties. These attitudes have however been evident with the low charity giving in NGOs.

“This whole issue of the very low charity giving to NGOs, when you count how many can put money in FFHR every month, there are very few. NGO forum, I can run a budget of seven billion and my members put in only 20 million. Now that is a 0.1% of what they should be giving.”