Why there is a need for BRIDGE  

Poverty is prevalent in Ghana, as in most African countries, yet local governments still lack the capacity to implement programs in a participatory manner. Consequently, rural villages depend upon their own social norms to help each other meet their needs. These social norms can be a great asset in development because the depths of their networks promotes cooperation. But the same civic norms that have enhanced development can also serve as a major obstacle. Social ties can support systems of nepotism and clan-based power structures that prevent projects from moving forward. A common problem, for example, is corruption of influential community members who steal project funds for personal use with impunity because of their social standing. Transparency at the organizational level is so important because these formal structures can be used to hold people accountable. This builds organizational trust among members, and inspires local participation.

The Peace Corps experience that BRIDGE's members have had in developing countries revealed that rural development efforts are rarely backed by formalized organizational skills. Consequently members of community groups cannot ensure accountability when project funds are raised. Furthermore, groups in rural areas rarely have the means to collaborate with groups outside their community boundaries. Taken together, rural communities have minimal access to government resources, lack formal organizational structures to instill the trust that is needed to mobilize efforts for big projects, and are isolated from the outside world.   The ultimate result is that rural communities have little power to steer their own development and alleviate long-term needs.

BRIDGE's theory about how to create lasting social change

Joseph Stiglitz said that community development is the most effective way to transform society, and well-designed projects can be the catalyst. We agree! For community development to be sustainable, it must be driven by community groups. Therefore communities must have effective Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and the local leadership that emerges from them in order to address local needs and bridge their efforts with those of the outside world. CBOs need strong organizational and networking skills before they can drive development in their own communities. In order to overcome the inter-community obstacles of nepotism and clan-based power systems, CBOs need the capacity to develop organizational structures that instill trust and enforce accountability like accounting and governance systems. In order to build partnerships with outside groups that have common goals, skills are needed in areas like proposal writing, networking, and evaluation. BRIDGE is dedicated to being immersed within local realitiesd we can work with groups in building CBOs from the ground up, and guide their organization's internal growth over the long haul.

How BRIDGE is innovative

Our focus on organizational capacity allows our partners to work in a variety of sectors that address local needs.   Regardless of which sector the community group is involved, every community group faces the fundamental challenges of organizational transparency and management capacity.   This approach allows us to move with the priorities set by local communities and not be constrained by sectoral boundaries.   So our approach feeds off of aspirations from within communities.

BRIDGE's dedication to being immersed in local communities is another innovative aspect that allows us to form intimate partnerships with grassroots groups. This makes us better facilitators, enlightens us to the nuances of local realities, and keeps us in touch with the precise skills that partners need to sustain projects.   By contrast, many international NGOs historically moved into communities with precooked projects, following top-down approaches, and focused on outcomes such as "number of water pumps installed."   This approach improved the standard of living for rural citizens in the short and medium term, and thus provided a benefit. Yet in the rush to achieve these objectives they often neglected to teach their rural constituencies the skills that are needed to maintain the pumps after they left.   Once the water pumps subsequently broke down, communities remained dependant on outside aid for assistance.   BRIDGE's approach allows groups to learn by doing through seed projects, simultaneously building their organizational skills that will empower them to take action rather than waiting for outside aid to arrive.  

BRIDGE's immersion in local cultures also enables us to effectively integrate international volunteers, and simultaneously give volunteers more meaningful experiences. Many international volunteer programs make limited effort to understand partner CBOs and are therefore unable to give volunteers concrete direction to be effective facilitators.   By focusing primarily on the volunteers, many volunteer organizations are unable to ignite real social change among those they propose to help, and create ineffective experiences for those who pay for their services.

BRIDGE builders

Members of BRIDGE have built a partnership with people in the region we work that is based on trust and cooperation. Since our Peace Corps days, we have continually fostered a reputation founded on our interest in the culture, and have legitimized ourselves in the eyes of the people because we have learned the language, customs, and ways of doing things. We respect their ways, and as a result have moved beyond the common relationship of patronage to mutual partnership. BRIDGE sees itself as a part of a larger and much needed shift in NGOs by moving away from unequal North-South relationships towards genuine partnerships. We therefore dedicate our work to promoting development through grassroots organizations at the micro-level that are driven by local social entrepreneurs.