‘Former white saviour’ to challenge British charities on ‘outdated’ methods

British charities working overseas need to stop relying on Western donations and rethink their fundraising methods, a social entrepreneur has warned.

Andrea Kazindra – who describes herself as a ‘former white saviour’ – will meet with charities, foundations, business leaders and politicians in London later this month.

Andrea and husband Haril are the founders of Musana, a community development NGO that runs 19 social enterprises including schools, hospitals and hotels in Uganda.

Musana – which recently launched a UK office – impacts close to 100,000 people per year and employs 700 staff, generating close to £400,000 in profit which is then invested into further expansion.

The charity seeks donations for set-up and building costs, but doesn’t require Western money for its operating budget, making their Uganda office not only self-sustainable but profitable.

This approach destroys the dependency most charities place on Western donors and empowers locals to be entrepreneurial, says Andrea.

“I used to be a ‘white saviour’ and thought the answer lied with me, but I was so wrong,” she admits.

“For charities, relying heavily on foreign funding can hinder efforts to become self-sufficient and locally led, stunting long-term sustainability and innovation. In our case, staff became complacent in raising local funds, knowing that foreign money would cover most expenses.

“But this year alone our Ugandan staff have generated more than £3million, and £400k of that is profitable which can then be invested back into community.

“If our fundraising offices were closed today then our services in Africa would continue to run. We aren’t reliant on Western money! Many of the methods NGOs use are outdated – the sector needs a rethink. Haril and I can’t wait to visit London again – we love the UK and the interest in this model so far has been amazing.”

The Kazindras will be sharing their insights at the ‘From Aid to Enterprise’ event at the Conduit, Covent Garden, on May 27. This follows their trip to Parliament last year where they challenged MPs on government aid.

You can register for the free event here and find out more about Musana here.