Ensuring projects are sustainable is a no-brainer. If organisations just keep giving without a long-term plan, resources will eventually dry up. To effectively address this challenge the ‘giving’ model of most charity organisations has to be reconsidered. This isn’t to devalue the incredible work charities and NGOs do. They raise billions of pounds annually to help millions of people all over the world. They provide help to the people who need it most. And, to their credit, many are looking at innovative ways to make their projects more sustainable.
Many organisations are now investing in empowerment projects. They train local communities, groups of women, youth, etc. to help them find jobs or start businesses. Others provide employment opportunities and invest in entrepreneurship and mentorship programmes. All with the aim of making programme recipients less reliant on aid, and hopefully, eventually completely independent.
At Akhuwat, our work has been about sustainable development from the get-go. For more than 20 years, we’ve been working to eradicate poverty, by giving people a hand up to help themselves. Our mission is to help people become self-sufficient and independent through interest-free microfinance loans.