Amman, Jordan, 4 April 2003 - Partnerships.
It was once said that the way to ruin a good friendship was to become
partners. A dozen international NGOs (nongovernmental organizations),
including World Concern, Food for the Hungry International and others,
have a partnership with JECRaD, the Jordanian Evangelical Committee for
Relief and Development, for the operation of the food services at the Ruwayshed
TCN (third country national) camp near the Jordan / Iraq border. With
all of the agencies communicating with their home offices in Asia, Europe
and North America, much can get lost or overlooked.
Partnerships in emergency relief are
common and very useful. The best partnerships operate when the national
partner, such as JECRaD, has the vision for what needs to be done and also
the experienced national staff to do most of the heavy lifting. The
day-to-day operation of a kitchen in a refugee camp is not glamorous. The
gathering of supplies from local venders is tedious. Organizing work shifts
and dealing with regulations is never a front-page story.
Pictures from the camp at Ruwayshed have gone around the world, though. Also on the web and in the news is a record of different agencies appearing to be the lead agency. The fact that these agencies cooperate with JECRaD and each other is only part of the story. For the whole story, you need to be in the camp talking to the staff of JECRaD and the international staff working beside them to prepare hot meals for the Sudanese and Somali families that are stuck between a war and being returned to an even more dangerous situation in their home country. You will see the real partnership in the camp as they work each day and prepare for the possibility of many more refugees.
It takes money. At some point, money must be raised, either from governments, organizations or donors. It takes media spreading the word about the situation and informing the world that there is an emergency. And, it takes the staff of the NGOs located around the world to find their partners and communicate through the media that their agency can meet the needs. Many times, it seems too confusing to explain the details and complex national partnerships. Most of the photos and the appeals try to get funds in support of needy people, full stop. What is lost many times is the credit for the day-to-day, often heroic efforts by national partners.
JECRaD is the lead agency for the food services at the TCN camp at Ruwayshed. The reason JECRaD has so many international partners is because they recognized from experience that this local organization would get the job done with compassion, energy and integrity.
WORLD CONCERN
FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY
Peter Drejer Sundt
Relief Manager