There is a columnist from the New York Times whose work I read regularly. Nicholas Kristof champions the underdog and writes about situations of suffering that no person should have to endure. Some of his articles are success stories, showing the effect on the marginalised when they are given the opportunity to be the masters of their own success.
In a recent article Kristof writes about a kid from the slums in Kenya; Kennedy Odede ran away from home, taught himself to read, saved 20c and bought a soccer ball, and, with this humble start, he encouraged the inhabitants of his slum to play soccer. He then organised a group, SHOFCO, (Shining Hope for Communities) helping underprivileged communities to work together to improve their future. Kennedy’s philosophy is ‘Any solution is always more successful when there is a feeling of ownership in the community.’
This philosophy of Kennedy’s underlies the PWRDF Indigenous Responsive program grants. PWRDF is establishing a bank of money to which indigenous communities can apply for a grant to fund a project determined by themselves.
The Montreal Unit of PWRDF has chosen this project to support in 2022- 2023 and is actively raising money for this bank to which Indigenous Communities may apply. Our local project is being called Decolonizing Fundraising to emphasise that this approach puts the ownership firmly on the local community. Colonials tend to see programs of aid as their own programs, even if they have local input.
In the days when religious affiliations were more common there used to be a saying ‘The family who prays together stays together’. Today this might be replaced by ‘The community that works together grows together.’ Your Montreal PWRDF team hopes that we in our communities and congregations can work together to raise funds to donate to PWRDF’s Indigenous Responsive Program Grants.
Material for the project has been distributed.
You can support this program by making a designated gift through your church or directly to PWRDF at pwrdf.org/Indigenousgrants, or indicate Indigenous Grant on your cheque and mail it to: PWRDF, 80 Hayden St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2.
