Newspapers have leaped upon the comments by singer Ed Sheeran, who refuses to add his endorsement to the latest Band Aid single “Do They Know it’s Christmas?”
Yet Ed is just one of many people who have expressed concerns about the old-fashioned approach to aid for Africa without gaining any real reaction from the media or public. So just like it took Bob Geldof to spark the conversation back in 1984, do we need another rock star to ignite a revolution in how we support the most vulnerable across the world?
In stating that he would have denied the use of his voice for the latest single, Sheeran quoted fellow artist Fuse ODG who said: “While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity.”
The harsh truth is that the time of having a photo of a sponsored African child on our fridge may be over. It’s time to rethink how we support Africa.
Ironically, I am in the Houses of Parliament as I write this and have spent this week lobbying MPs and discussing this very point. We shouldn’t need a rock star to get us talking about the use of charity funds
As a co-founder of Musana, a nonprofit organization operating in three communities in Uganda with 8 schools that have educated over 8,500 students, hospitals offering 40,000+ patient visits per year, and employing over 685 full-time employees, we are proof that a new approach can fundamentally change the lives of those we aim to help.
In September 2008, my husband Haril and I started Musana after rescuing 80 children from a failing orphanage in Uganda. The children there were starving, sleeping on rocky dirt floors, and living amidst garbage. We’d also discovered that the orphanage leaders were profiting from foreign donations without passing funds to the children. We even found out that 80% of the children there weren’t orphans – but they were told if they lied about the death of their parents, they would be given ‘sponsors’!
When we began fundraising to support the children, we did what we knew would work – child sponsorship! And guess what? It did! More than 50 percent of our budget was met in one night! But we soon learned that, whilst admirable and well-intentioned, this approach to development can cause huge problems for the very children we are supposed to be helping. And it made us change…
This model can in fact foster an unhealthy reliance among children on donors, affecting their emotional well-being and perpetuating a cycle of dependency. Children would wait restlessly for letters, feeling unloved and forgotten if they didn’t receive them. Those who did receive letters became emotionally dependent on them. It fostered inequality because some children received preferential treatment from more generous sponsors compared to others, causing resentment and social tensions among kids who were forced to watch their friends receive letters, gifts and visits from sponsors, exacerbating feelings of abandonment. This led to daily questions from children wondering why their sponsors didn’t love them as much as others.
For charities, relying heavily on foreign funding can hinder efforts to become self-sufficient and locally led, stunting long-term sustainability and innovation. In our case, staff became complacent in raising local funds, knowing that sponsorship money would cover most expenses.
While immediate needs were addressed, systemic issues of poverty and inequality remained, hindering community development. The community referred to Musana as “the Mzungu organization” (meaning white people) – indicating a lack of local ownership.
Realizing these detrimental effects, we reevaluated our values and shifted away from child sponsorship, prioritizing local ownership, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and accountability. Though challenging, this shift was necessary to foster genuine, dignified community development.
What sets Musana apart is its self-sustaining model, where local income, not external donations, supports the operations of the entire organization. Musana’s social enterprises generate income that covers operational costs, creating 100 percent sustainable businesses that allow profits to be reinvested into the community through education scholarships and medical assistance. This year alone, our Ugandan staff have generated more than$3.5M in revenue – $500k of that is profitable which can then be invested back into the community.
If our fundraising offices were closed today, guess what? The services Musana offers in Uganda would continue to run. We have proven that our model is unique and works. We use all donations for growth and replication into more communities, breaking the cycle of dependency.
Because social enterprises do not depend on donations, they can sustain themselves long-term. The community’s investment in Musana enterprises, including schools, hospitals, training centers, restaurants, and hotels ensures sustainability and profitability.
This shift from passive recipients of charity to active agents of change embodies true dignity and fosters hope.
So I stand with Ed Sheeran. His brave and principled comments can act as a catalyst to initiate a new model, one that truly empowers the incredible African people forever. Or, until the words of Ed ‘everything has changed’…
