30/06/2026
When I say "foundation," many people hear "something free is coming."
It caught me off guard at first. But over time, I realized: it's not their fault. This is what decades of donation-driven interventions have taught communities—that NGOs arrive, distribute items, take photos, and leave.
So when I asked for people's time, ideas, and leadership, I was met with confusion. Some were even disappointed.
That made me reflect deeply:
Have we unintentionally created a culture of dependency?
Here's what I've come to understand:
✓Relief = emergency aid (necessary and life-saving)
✓Development = building local capacity, leadership, and ownership
True development doesn't happen when we do things for people. It happens when we do things with them.
At Ayeyi Impact Foundation, we now prioritize one thing before any project begins: managing expectations, building trust, and inviting communities to be co-creators—not passive recipients.
Sustainable change requires partners, not beneficiaries.
I share more lessons from the field in this reflection. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Read the full article here: 👇
https://impactchronicle.blogspot.com/2026/06/lessons-from-field.html
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