Funding the Network
Pamoja West Africa has a number of partners that support its work but is currently facing something of a crisis in terms of funding for operating the network itself. This is due to ICCO, our largest funder in 2010, offering no ongoing support in 2011 following a 25% reduction in its funding from the Government of the Netherlands. This means that the secretariat office in Bamako will be closing temporarily from the end of June 2011, unless a solution can be found. Without a secretariat other network activities are in jeopardy.
Experience and common sense indicate that networks with modestly funded secretariats have the potential to be more effective and sustainable than those that run on the good will and spare time of committed activists. Networks differ from NGOs implementing development projects at community level, in that a large part of their work concerns communication and information dissemination and sharing. Communication in West Africa entails a minimum of two and ideally three international languages. There is still a prevailing idea that "activities" are somehow more important to fund than running costs and of course activities are important, but for a network running costs pay to a large extent for the communication that is at the heart of the network.
Pamoja West Africa's President, Azuka Menkiti from Nigeria, recently attended the ICAE VIII World Assembley in Malmo, Sweden, seeking to make the work of the network more visible and meet with potential partners. Discussions are ongoing with ICCO and the Finnish Refugee Council is providing assistence - so although the office is closing temporarily there is hope for the future! Please contact us if you can help!
