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Strengths and Weaknesses of Ngos

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QUESTION

: What are NGOs? What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of NGOs?

The essay discusses what Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are. The essay also discusses the strengths and weaknesses The term NGO is usually applied only to organizations that per sue wider social aims that have political aspects. NGOs are legally constituted organizations created by people that operate independently from any form of government. It is not possible to give a universal definition Non-Governmental Organization. According to Kane (1990: 14) gives three criteria for the definition of an NGO: 1) It should be privately set up (not set up by the state) and Structured, and sufficiently autonomous in its activity and financing. (This …show more content…

According to Kang (2010), NGOs focus on bottom up development as opposed to predominantly growth centered development approach pursued by many agencies and governments. They consequently have rooted in local communities or tend to develop bonds with the people they serve”. NGOs function at the community level and they have been created as a result of the community Initiative, and because of this they enjoy more legitimacy in the communities they serve. NGOs projects are thus often seen by the members of the community as their project and thus usually support them by participating in the community project. This is because people in such communities feel that such initiatives are their own hence, they effectively address their own needs and interests. The last and not the least on the strengths of NGOs is that they are more independent and can afford to be more radical and ensure people empowerment. From the discussion above it appears that NGOs makes easier the development in the country. In whatever way, it is important to note that there are certain weaknesses which can hinder the functioning of NGOs; and some of such weaknesses are as follows: Firstly NGOs are of limited reach. Most NGOs are regional hence, they operate in certain area and they cannot reach all communities. Cernea (1988) states that, “the direct interaction with local communities consequently enables NGOs to reach the rural poor and promote service

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