Wanted, Grown, Growing and Alive: Forests

Written by Christiana Charles-Iyoha

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Forests management and conservation remains for now the most cost effective means of managing the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.  Significantly, tropical forests which are globally acclaimed to absorb nearly a fifth of carbon emissions released by fossil fuels each year (Nature, February 2009) store much more carbon than they produce in biomass or soil. These same forests also cool the atmosphere by putting moisture into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (See the Annual State of the World's Forests).  Sometimes referred to as Africa's Carbon Sink, Africa's tropical forests though the most productive "carbon sinks" also play a vital role in regulating both temperature and rainfall, critical factors in Africa’s 90% rain fed subsistence agriculture that employs about 60% of the population in addition to providing staple food for the population as well as cash crops for export.

This article addresses the life threatening issue of deforestation in Africa on account of logging timber for export, conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land, mining housing and industrialisation.

How to Mobilize Resources for Financial Sustainability: The Business Approach to NGO Management

Written by Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Non governmental organizations are non profit organizations that most often are donor dependent. Projects, staffing, quality office space and equipment are largely dependent on the generosity of donors and where donor generosity stops, the life span of the NGO most probably comes to an end. Having worked in the sector for close on twenty five years, I have seen many great NGOs with huge potentials for contributing immensely to human, national and global development close shop because they could no longer access donor funds, a function of donor fatigue coupled with dwindling AID and donor funding. This calls for creative means of achieving financial sustainability in the sector so that in the long run, NGOs can exist without donor support. A rather tall dream for people and organizations who are known as non profits, unschooled in raising cash flow from assets because they have always being schooled in raising grants and donations. Though a rather tall dream, what is required is a mental and institutional paradigm shift from donor dependence to organisation’s cash flow from assets dependence implying that non profit organizations must learn to build assets. This is critical because grants will continue to dwindle and donor fatigue will increase. Secondly, you won’t need to work at pleasing donors; conform to their agenda to work at their pace at the risk of displeasing your constituency. You will work at your own pace, follow your own agenda and actually implement projects that are relevant to the needs of the constituency or communities you serve.

Assets however do not drop from the sky. Money is required to build and maintain assets. How then do organizations who do not earn income from business transactions suddenly acquire assets?  Several ways if you adopt the business approach to NGO management.  Though NGOs are non profits, they can also participate in profit making ventures that earn income for the organization and not the Trustees of the organization. Therefore NGOs should actively engage in business activities that do not detract from the vision of the organization but earn and adds income to the organization. This way, NGOs become social enterprises that both serve their constituencies’ interests as well as generate income to remain afloat in providing social development services.