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Our Way
When we first began our activities I was given a very good piece of advice: to raise money for the cause was certainly good, but I had to be willing to take responsibility for how that money was used by the organisations we donated to.
Anyone who has worked in India, or with any organisation from a distance, will know that this can be difficult. It is natural to want to trust all those who work for charitable organisations, but alas, without local support and monitoring it is not possible to guarantee that the money is being used for the causes stipulated.
We have countered this by supporting organisations through a local agent (someone who is not related to that organisation in any way). We charge them with making contact, visiting and determining what is needed. The organisations do not know that the money is coming from abroad until they have shown the agent what they need and why.
Over the course of 2007, our activities have been kept small to identify where any inefficiencies might emerge. The experiences gained and the partnerships built in Gujarat have confirmed that Our Way is as effective a way of working as possible.
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