Nicaragua

 

Tvind assets:  Ayuda al Planeta, Nicaragua;  Planet Aid  projects;  agricultural labourers probably recruited from here to work on Tvind plantations in other central American countries.

 

Claims and counter-claims about Planet Aid's projects in Nicaragua

El Viejo is a small municipality in north east Nicaragua that receives 'aid' from regular small teams of volunteers from Planet Aid and IICD.    Planet Aid makes very impressive claims for its work in the area.     In its annual report, Child Aid in Nicaragua 2000, it lists 17 achievements ranging from starting up small businesses to organising the area's rubbish collection.

There is a difference of opinion here.  An independent UK charity and a leading El Viejo citizen say Planet Aid's claims are exaggerated.   Volunteers who worked on the project recently, however, insist much was achieved. One volunteer in particular - who says they are nevertheless deeply suspicious about Tvind  -  has written to Tvind Alert.  The opposing viewpoints are below.

 

 

 

Against Planet Aid

On behalf of Tvind Alert, a reliable local source checked Planet Aid's claims.   Only one - the creation of a boy's club  -  turned out to be completely accurate, he reported.   The rest were either false, misleading or grossly exaggerated.  Planet Aid appeared to be 'hijacking' the  work of other NGOs.   It often gave itself the credit, but rarely provided any funding or gave more than token assistance   -  hardly surprising, since its small team of poorly-trained volunteers would have been seriously overstretched.

 A member of the Norwich-El Viejo Link (an independent UK twinning organisation) encountered Planet Aid's team in El Viejo in 2001 and was dismayed by what she saw.  She has written to magazines, newspapers, MPs, ministers and other development aid charities in the UK expressing  alarm at the situation.

The Planet Aid annual report and comments by local sources.

Norwich-El Viejo Link Member's letter to New Internationalist and reply sent by a member of the Planet Aid team.

 

For Planet Aid

"I have recently read the article you have posted about the Planet Aid, Nicaragua expose.  I was one of the 13 team members in Nicaragua at the time and I am a little angry about the way you have presented the Project.  Although I think that Humana People to People is exteremely suspicious and does a lot of really riduclas, unplanned and flat out stupid things it does not give you a right to take one persons impressions and print them as fact.  I would definiteley not be involved with the organiozation again, because I really didn't find them to be particularily professional or accountable, but ayuda al Planeta was much more productive than you have said.  As far as we, as a group are aware of your spy, or whatever only spoke to Paul and not to the other 12 of us.  There were tons of microcredit loans given for chicken and pig raising businesses, many preschools were started(about 8-10 as far as i know but could be more), teachers were trained and coordinated by us, i started, implemented and worked at the street kids center, and as of a week ago the street kids center is running and yes, ayuda al planeta does pay for all  of the operations (including employing two full time Nicaraguan teachers)with the exception of food (although we have paid for that also) -this I know for fact because I was one of the people who set it up, 1,000 of trees were planted- and a  huge community environmental cleanup-with area school children and a weekly environmental club was created, I and two other of my co-workers did many weekly health education programs in ten area schools,wells and latrines were funded and built, three exchanges between city and rural kids took place, one bi-weekly teen group met, a resteraunt-with the help of the peace corps volunteer was started and is being run by kids from the teen group, etc.  And i am not an "ignorant" volunteer. i understand humana is not an accountable organization, but they are (as far as Nicaraguais concerned) noty completely :evil" either.  and our Project leader gary was incredible and put in 10-12 hour days-he was also aware of issues within humana and gave us a good perspective.  Also-even though I agree that more money should have been invested into the project-more can be done without money, We were in a unique position -such as in the road project-to have time to orgnaize and set up things that many poeple did not have time to do-which is what i belive to be good development work.  many of the NGO's have similar issues to humana but if you are in a situation where you have already invested time and money in an organization - ifeel it is better to make the best of it and do what you can-then spend the whole time harping on the organization-we were not puppets of the organization, ignorant-but I can agree we were not very well trained..but we did our best-and acomplised a lot in the process. So, in short-you should get your facts straight before you try to put them off as fact.  You might as well be one of those shady-humana people... as far asi'm concerned-even though I can agree with some of your opinions-many of your information is sensationalized and it seems as though people who post information without checking their sources may also have a hidden agenda.. anyway i would appreciate a response-and you can post this if you want-although i would appreciate if my name was omitted."

    From Leif Gunnar Lie's MA Thesis (1997):

"Some 120 students paid $7,700 (about 5,000) to learn Spanish and go to South American aid projects. Having been on a trip to Nicaragua, 10 out of 11 students filed a protest.   One of them, Bruce Burke, characterised the school's methods as "psychological manipulation of students based on their feelings of idealism and guilt".

Fellow student Barbara Anns told The Advocate newspaper: "They isolate us up on the hill, they tell us to sacrifice our individual needs and they try too manipulate us through guilt, peer pressure and misinformation." ⁽³³⁾ Complaints included low standards of teaching, insufficient food, lodging and transportation during travel periods, and having to hitch-hike through the countryside and beg for money and lodging from the poor people they were supposed to aid.   Mikael Norling dismissed all charges brought forward by the students, saying that IICD never advocated any illegal or unethical activity.

At least nine of the 11 who went on the Nicaragua trip, quit after this clash."

 

        Down a black hole.     The Chicago Tribune.   (July 13, 2003)

In 1992, an idealistic young American helped build a preschool in Nicaragua. Today it's in ruins. Why does so much U.S. aid to poor countries go for naught?    By Monica Eng.    Tribune staff reporter.     
 

See: Tvind companies

   Planet Aid Nicaragua is a local branch of Planet Aid Inc,  USA

Humana Nicaragua (1999)

 

 

A correspondent writes:   In Nicaragua there project leader left after a year (name supplied) and has
not been replaced as it is cheaper to have an uneducated local woman who used to be a project worker fill out the forms

 

 

Los Positos, El Viejo

Agropecuaria Alfonso Nunez, La Dalia, Matagalpa province (Hurricane Mitch emergency aid)

(under construction)