African experience inspires Canadians to embrace a greater
role on the world stage
UNEXPECTED JOURNEYS
It may not have felt like a life-changing experience at the time, but for a group of visitors from Canada, a walk down a hot, dusty road in coastal Kenya late last year was a turning point in their commitment to alleviating poverty in the developing world.
“I had a typical TV image of poverty in my head,” said Dave Macfarlane, a Vancouver businessman. “I thought of Live Aid in the ’80s and what a disappointment it was that nothing changed.”
Linnea Duignan, an architect from Toronto, had similar misgivings about the effectiveness of most foreign aid.
Like many Canadians, Macfarlane and Duignan believe more can be done to overcome poverty. Both are volunteers for Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) and help raise funds through the World Partnership Walk and World Partnership Golf.
They see this as a meaningful way to link corporate Canada to aid efforts in Asia and Africa. The self-funded trip to Kenya was an opportunity for deeper understanding of how their efforts are making a difference in poor communities.
“Canadians are no different than any other people,” said Duignan. “They need assurance that the very best is made of their generosity.”
Having abandoned their van at the end of the paved road, the group of 10 Canadians, many of whom had never travelled out of North America, were not sure what to expect as they trudged into Makuti, a village of mud and grass huts.
Communities in northern Kenya’s Coast Province struggle to meet basic needs. More than a third of the residents have no formal education, and drought, inflation and HIV/AIDS have forced 70 per cent of the population into poverty. For seven months of the year, people eat only one meal a day.
The last thing Macfarlane and Duignan expected was to be greeted by a group of successful women entrepreneurs.
In Makuti, women are using small loans provided by the Coastal Rural Support Program to strengthen the fabric of economic life. The program is one of dozens that receive Canadian support through AKFC, benefiting thousands of impoverished communities in Asia and Africa.
With their first loan of $50, the women began producing cassava chips, a popular snack sold in local markets.
With the next loan, they purchased a few chickens for breeding, and now supply the kitchen of a large Nairobi hospital.
The women, who borrow as a collective, guarantee each other’s loans, so repayment averages 98 per cent.
The group has also invested in improving the water supply to the village – an initiative that has reduced the amount of time women spend fetching water, improved crop irrigation and reduced waterborne disease.
“They were the most powerful group I’d seen in a long time, anywhere, including North America,” said Macfarlane. “At that point, I knew we were making a difference.”
Micro-credit is only part of the picture. The Coastal Rural Support Program, which operates in 168 villages in Kwalke and Kilifi districts, helps communities identify their priorities then guides them in finding the resources – financial or technical – needed to realize their plans.
Village organizations are tackling a range of issues, from education to infrastructure.
Small loans fund the development process and demonstrate to communities that even with very limited resources they have the means to make long-term, positive change.
This was an eye-opener for Duignan. “I didn’t understand the measures required to alleviate poverty – that long-term goals are what are needed, rather than shortterm handouts,” she says.
The trip brought a new awareness of the complexities of development work, but also a sense of hope and possibility, said Macfarlane.
“From my Canadian business perspective, we want results in the next quarter,” he said. “These communities are on a minimum 25-year plan, but I believe they have the tools to continue to improve their lives.”
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