Community development is always more complex than it looks. ‘Quick fixes’ are ‘out’ and ‘holistic approaches’ are ‘in’. But I wonder if there are exceptions to this philosophy. I think there are some things that just need to be fixed and I also think that a less holistic approach might actually help in some circumstances.
I happened to catch this feature on Radio 4′s Today programme, 6:45am, 20 April 2009:
Malaria no more | Radio 4 Today Programme | 20/4/09 by colalife
‘Malaria no more‘ is a recently established, single issue NGO that is just focussed on eliminating deaths from Malaria, no more, no less. And when it has done that it will disband (I understand). Around half the children that die before their fifth birthday, that ColaLife is so concerned about, die from Malaria. That’s 10% of children in Africa, or 2 a minute. Basically, that is not acceptable in 2009 and it has to stop. Full stop. That is what ‘Malaria no more’ is determined to do.
I wonder how they will distribute their bed nets and anti-malarial drugs?
