Sometimes NGO provide quality services to a community, or many communities, that may be “better” than government sponsored/created/run programs. However the context of NGO may include systems of beliefs, often derived from or based in a religious group, or political group, or other agenda driving the provision of services.
Government programs for poor have their own particular drawbacks, sometimes motivating behavior that is questionably in the best long terms interest of the client base. NGO services may come with different but still sometimes questionable effects on those they serve.
Those looking to support needed social changes have to deal with these “realities on the ground”. Here’s one very real example of the problem in our own region.
Recently, during home repairs, I made the acquaintance of a senior in HS working with his older brother contractor. “John” told me he did mentoring at his HS, which I think is Mayfield here in Las Cruces, for a program called Friends First. He described it as a meeting with a small group of about 8 students “at risk” and essentially providing life skills, or what we might call “soft skills, such as avoiding drug use problems, and finding ways to be motivated to pursue education.
Researching Friends First today, I find it’s “headquarters” are in Littelton CO, a suburb south of Denver, and adjacent to Colombine CO. Yes, that Columbine. Apparently it was founded to help reduce the number of pregnancies by teens, and unwed young mothers, a problem common in southern NM as well. Dealing with the sexuality and reproduction of young Americans is a problematic topic, part of a larger debate about the relationship between religious beliefs and “answers” to social problems, as we know.
Initially when I heard John talk about his mentoring activities, I was eager to hear what methods they used, did they have online materials, how was the seemingly “peer to peer” approach implemented, etc. “Peer to Peer” is another way of describing a SLC…
Now I realize one would need to understand how an organization like Friends First operates, and what if any agenda the group is promoting…perhaps behind the scenes…along with the soft skills learning supported. Still, if it is an effective program, how much of an agenda might be overlooked in the interests of those getting the “help”?
Not an easy set of choices to analyze, perhaps. But I hope to “find out” more, as PSA can and likely will at some point explore working closely with some soft skills service providers.